Netflix movie of the day: Denzel Washington and Spike Lee surprisingly subvert the heist movie formula with Inside Man

There’s a bank, a robber, and a cop – but this is no ordinary heist

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Every day, we cut through the bottomless list of streaming options and recommend something to watch. See all ourNetflix movie of the daypicks, or ourPrime Video movie of the daychoices.

Not to be confused with the David Tennant-starring TV drama of the same name, 2006’sInside Man(which you can stream now onNetflix) is a Spike Lee joint that features one of Denzel Washington’s best performances, as well as a scene-stealing turn from Jodie Foster.

Inside Manis a heist movie that stars Washington as a disgraced NYPD detective and hostage negotiator. When a bank robber – played by Clive Owen – takes over a wealthy Manhattan bank, Washington and his partner are given the job of talking him out. However, it soon emerges that this is no ordinary heist, and the bank contains a secret that very powerful people are determined to withhold from the general populace.

Is Inside Man worth streaming on Netflix?

Spike Lee certainly has his fun with this one. Indeed, Inside man might appear to be your typical genre movie, but it’s one that enjoys subverting some of this film category’s most notable tropes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, critics were divided by the creative swings it takes.The Guardiancalled it “supremely annoying and nonsensical”, whileTime Outsaid it was “a slick, kinetic and relatively straightforward – which is to say enjoyably twisty-turny – tranche of cat-and-mouse procedural.”

Adding to its mixed reception wasThe Toronto Star, whose reviewer felt it was “an exercise in showy, cynical hollowness”. However,USA Todaybelieved it to be “exceptionally well written with clever twists and witty dialogue”.Moviewebsaid that “thrillers are rarely so well conceived;Inside Manis a must-see”, while theSydney Morning Herald, meaning it as a compliment, opined: “Like everything Lee does, it resonates with the buzz and hum of New Yorkers getting on one another’s nerves.”

So, isInside Manworth checking out on the world’sbest streaming service? Reading the above, you might still be sitting on the fence about it. Based on its 86% critical and 85% audience scores onRotten Tomatoes, though, it appears thatInside Manis definitely more than a passable film that’ll you want to stream. One for ourbest Netflix movieslist? Don’t be surprised if sneaks on there at some point.

You might also like

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir,Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock bandUnquiet Mind.

‘That was never the plan’: Arcane creators dismiss claims that the hit Netflix show was going to run for five seasons

Arcane season 2 was reportedly going to run for five seasons, so why is my all-time favorite Netflix show ending after two?

Ulefone Armor 27T Pro rugged phone review