The Hot Rock (1972)
Movie · 1972 · Crime, Comedy · 1h 41m · PG · English
Curator score: 5.7/10 (18.8K ratings)
Tagline: How many times does it take to steal the same diamond?
Dortmunder and his pals plan to steal a huge diamond from a museum. But this turns out to be only the first time they have to steal it...
Ratings:
- Curator score: 5.7/10
- IMDb: 6.8/10
- Letterboxd: 3.64/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
- Metacritic: 65
- TMDB: 6.6/10
Director: Peter Yates
Production: Landers-Roberts Productions, 20th Century Fox
Cast: Robert Redford, George Segal, Ron Leibman, Paul Sand, Moses Gunn, William Redfield, Topo Swope, Charlotte Rae, Graham Jarvis, Christopher Guest, Zero Mostel, Harry Bellaver, Seth Allen, Robert Levine, Ed Bernard, Lee Wallace, Robert Weil, Lynne Gordon, Grania O'Malley, Fred Cook
Curator Review
Verdict: A breezy, dryly funny caper with a great ensemble and a delightfully stubborn premise: the heist keeps going wrong, so the movie keeps reinventing itself. It’s especially appealing if you like crime comedies that value character friction and procedural mishaps over slick glamour.
Best for: fans of low-key heist comedies; viewers who like 1970s ensemble crime films; people who enjoy deadpan, escalating screwups; audiences looking for a lighter Robert Redford vehicle
Skip if: you want a tightly engineered thriller; you prefer high-energy, glossy caper movies; you need a strong emotional arc or romantic subplot; you dislike shaggy, episodic plotting
Overview: The Hot Rock is one of those capers that understands the real joke is not the theft but the logistics. Every attempt to recover the diamond becomes a fresh opportunity for bad luck, improvisation, and bruised egos, which gives the film a relaxed but persistent comic rhythm. It’s less about suspense than about watching competent-ish criminals get outwitted by circumstance.
Worth noting: Peter Yates keeps the tone nimble and unfussy, letting the cast play the material with a straight face that makes the absurdity land harder. Robert Redford and George Segal make a strong odd-couple center, and the movie benefits from the 1970s taste for grittier streets and less polished behavior, even in a comedy. The result is a caper that feels sly, human, and pleasantly unflashy.
Bottom line: If you come in expecting a grand master-plan movie, this may feel loose. But if you enjoy crime stories where the pleasure is in the setbacks, the banter, and the cumulative absurdity, it’s a very easy recommendation. It’s a smart, modestly scaled film that earns its charm by refusing to over-polish it.
Recommended similar titles:
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 · Crime, Thriller, Comedy · 1h 45m · R · Curator 8.8/10 (82.9K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo)
Shares the same 1970s New York grit and brisk, unsentimental crime-movie energy, with sharp ensemble interplay.
- The Sting (1973 · Comedy, Crime, Drama · 2h 9m · PG · Curator 9.1/10 (482.6K ratings))
A classic con-game film with a playful tone, elegant plotting, and the same pleasure of watching schemers improvise.
- Kelly's Heroes (1970 · Adventure, Comedy, War · 2h 24m · PG · Curator 5.2/10 (81.7K ratings) · Where to watch: TCM)
A loose, funny ensemble caper with a rebellious streak and a fondness for characters making plans on the fly.
- Foul Play (1978 · Comedy, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 56m · PG · Curator 2.9/10 (30.8K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo)
If you like caper mechanics with a lighter comic touch, this delivers playful plotting and escalating complications.
- Midnight Run (1988 · Comedy, Crime, Thriller · 2h 6m · R · Curator 7.8/10 (218.6K ratings))
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- A Fish Called Wanda (1988 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 49m · R · Curator 7.4/10 (296.9K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo)
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- The Lavender Hill Mob (1951 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 18m · NR · Curator 9.8/10 (17.1K ratings) · Where to watch: FlixFling)
A classic of the genial, failure-prone heist comedy, where the pleasure is in the plan unraveling.
- The Italian Job (1969 · Crime, Comedy, Thriller · 1h 39m · G · Curator 6.1/10 (54.7K ratings))
A stylish caper with a playful criminal ensemble and a strong sense of momentum, even as plans get complicated.
- Topkapi (1964 · Comedy, Crime, Adventure · 1h 59m · NR · Curator 5.5/10 (18.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
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- The Great Muppet Caper (1981 · Comedy, Crime, Family · 1h 37m · G · Curator 6.7/10 (69.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
A cheerful, self-aware theft comedy that treats the mechanics of the caper as part of the joke.
- Out of Sight (1998 · Romance, Comedy, Crime · 2h 3m · R · Curator 7.5/10 (195.3K ratings))
For viewers who like crime stories with wit, chemistry, and a cool, offhand confidence rather than hard-edged intensity.
- Logan Lucky (2017 · Comedy, Crime, Action · 1h 59m · PG-13 · Curator 8.1/10 (179.3K ratings))
A modern working-class heist comedy that shares the same love of improvised planning and comic setbacks.
Topics: heist comedy, caper, crime, ensemble cast, deadpan humor, 1970s, mischief, urban, escalating chaos, lightly cynical
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/the-hot-rock/46059
The Hot Rock (1972)
Movie · 1972 · Crime, Comedy · 1h 41m · PG · English
Curator score: 5.7/10 (18.8K ratings)
How many times does it take to steal the same diamond?
Overview Dortmunder and his pals plan to steal a huge diamond from a museum. But this turns out to be only the first time they have to steal it...
Ratings
Curator score: 5.7/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 3.64/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Metacritic: 65
TMDB: 6.6/10
Production Landers-Roberts Productions, 20th Century Fox
Cast Robert Redford, George Segal, Ron Leibman, Paul Sand, Moses Gunn, William Redfield, Topo Swope, Charlotte Rae, Graham Jarvis, Christopher Guest, Zero Mostel, Harry Bellaver, Seth Allen, Robert Levine, Ed Bernard, Lee Wallace, Robert Weil, Lynne Gordon, Grania O'Malley, Fred Cook
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, dryly funny caper with a great ensemble and a delightfully stubborn premise: the heist keeps going wrong, so the movie keeps reinventing itself. It’s especially appealing if you like crime comedies that value character friction and procedural mishaps over slick glamour.
Best for
fans of low-key heist comedies
viewers who like 1970s ensemble crime films
people who enjoy deadpan, escalating screwups
audiences looking for a lighter Robert Redford vehicle
Skip if
you want a tightly engineered thriller
you prefer high-energy, glossy caper movies
you need a strong emotional arc or romantic subplot
you dislike shaggy, episodic plotting
Overview
The Hot Rock is one of those capers that understands the real joke is not the theft but the logistics. Every attempt to recover the diamond becomes a fresh opportunity for bad luck, improvisation, and bruised egos, which gives the film a relaxed but persistent comic rhythm. It’s less about suspense than about watching competent-ish criminals get outwitted by circumstance.
Worth noting
Peter Yates keeps the tone nimble and unfussy, letting the cast play the material with a straight face that makes the absurdity land harder. Robert Redford and George Segal make a strong odd-couple center, and the movie benefits from the 1970s taste for grittier streets and less polished behavior, even in a comedy. The result is a caper that feels sly, human, and pleasantly unflashy.
Bottom line
If you come in expecting a grand master-plan movie, this may feel loose. But if you enjoy crime stories where the pleasure is in the setbacks, the banter, and the cumulative absurdity, it’s a very easy recommendation. It’s a smart, modestly scaled film that earns its charm by refusing to over-polish it.
Recommended similar titles
1974 · Crime, Thriller, Comedy · 1h 45m · R · Curator 8.8/10 (82.9K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo
Shares the same 1970s New York grit and brisk, unsentimental crime-movie energy, with sharp ensemble interplay.
1973 · Comedy, Crime, Drama · 2h 9m · PG · Curator 9.1/10 (482.6K ratings)
A classic con-game film with a playful tone, elegant plotting, and the same pleasure of watching schemers improvise.
1970 · Adventure, Comedy, War · 2h 24m · PG · Curator 5.2/10 (81.7K ratings) · Where to watch: TCM
A loose, funny ensemble caper with a rebellious streak and a fondness for characters making plans on the fly.
1978 · Comedy, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 56m · PG · Curator 2.9/10 (30.8K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo
If you like caper mechanics with a lighter comic touch, this delivers playful plotting and escalating complications.
1988 · Comedy, Crime, Thriller · 2h 6m · R · Curator 7.8/10 (218.6K ratings)
A road-bound crime comedy that thrives on mismatched personalities, constant setbacks, and sharp banter.
1988 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 49m · R · Curator 7.4/10 (296.9K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo
A smart, character-driven crime comedy that balances theft, betrayal, and broad comic escalation.
1951 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 18m · NR · Curator 9.8/10 (17.1K ratings) · Where to watch: FlixFling
A classic of the genial, failure-prone heist comedy, where the pleasure is in the plan unraveling.
1969 · Crime, Comedy, Thriller · 1h 39m · G · Curator 6.1/10 (54.7K ratings)
A stylish caper with a playful criminal ensemble and a strong sense of momentum, even as plans get complicated.
1964 · Comedy, Crime, Adventure · 1h 59m · NR · Curator 5.5/10 (18.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A sophisticated theft film that leans into ingenious planning, ensemble chemistry, and comic suspense.
1981 · Comedy, Crime, Family · 1h 37m · G · Curator 6.7/10 (69.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
A cheerful, self-aware theft comedy that treats the mechanics of the caper as part of the joke.
1998 · Romance, Comedy, Crime · 2h 3m · R · Curator 7.5/10 (195.3K ratings)
For viewers who like crime stories with wit, chemistry, and a cool, offhand confidence rather than hard-edged intensity.
2017 · Comedy, Crime, Action · 1h 59m · PG-13 · Curator 8.1/10 (179.3K ratings)
A modern working-class heist comedy that shares the same love of improvised planning and comic setbacks.
Topics
heist comedy, caper, crime, ensemble cast, deadpan humor, 1970s, mischief, urban, escalating chaos, lightly cynical
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