Every Michael Mann Movie Ranked Worst To Best

For all its strengths, Michael Mann's spotless debut Thief doesn't really do much new from a plot standpoint: It simply follows veteran safecracker Frank (James Caan) as he agrees to do "one last job" so he can leave his criminal past behind and settle down with his girlfriend Jessie (Tuesday Weld).

But therein lies its hook. Thief is about a criminal wanting to leave it all behind, and whilst there are some thrilling heist scenes and predictable tropes, the whole picture is held together by Caan's typically disarming performance and Mann's ability to look inside the mind of flawed man trying - however riskily - to right his wrongs.

Thief isn't overly action-heavy or flashy, but it's a remarkably strong character study and one of the more overlooked neo-noir thrillers of the 80s.

Contrasting their follow-up efforts with The Keep, Thief also finds Tangerine Dream conducting a soundtrack that actually fits with the film, which is just a nice added bonus.