Film Theory: Collateral Is A Grand Theft Auto Movie

2. Michael Mann's Style

Michael Mann's bold, singular direction is one of the reasons that Collateral is as evocative and brilliant as it is, and it also furthers the theory that he was tapping the very same vein that has made the GTA games such a hit.

As mentioned, Mann used cutting-edge digital cinematography to capture a uniquely fluid depiction of Los Angeles, a smoother image that inherently differentiates the film from other similar movies.

But there are even individual shots in the film that evoke GTA, be it the gorgeous, sweeping shots of the city unfolding before Max (not unlike the opening cut-scene of many a GTA game), or the numerous overhead helicopter shots which pay homage to the earlier top-down GTA games.

Though this is almost certainly nothing more than a coincidence, it's an incredibly fortuitous one, which combined with Mann's unforgettable use of music while Max is driving around, is sure to give players memories of cruising along in GTA while listening to the brilliant in-game radio.

If the point isn't clear enough yet, an enterprising fan even remade the film's memorable coyote sequence in GTA V's powerful Rockstar Editor suite. Needless to say, it's a note-perfect translation from one medium to another: