10 Iconic Video Game Moments You Had NO Idea Were Taken From Movies
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Train Heist
Inspired by: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Rockstars' admiration for recreating cinematic moments in their games isn't exclusive to the GTA series; the Red Dead series is just as guilty of tipping its hat to celluloid history. And nowhere is that clearer than its hauntingly cinematic train heist early in the game, which owes everything to Andrew Dominik’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
The moment hits just after the snowy prologue, as Dutch’s gang sabotages a train under the cover of night. The scene is drenched in shadows, fog, and silence, lit only by flickering lanterns and the soft glow of moonlight. As the train slowly screeches into view, the camera lingers with reverence. It’s not just a robbery - it’s a moment.
It’s a direct lift from Jesse James’ opening heist, which plays almost identically: masked outlaws hiding in trees, the train emerging from blackness, and the violence unfolding with eerie restraint. The tone isn’t rah-rah western action - it’s mythic, melancholic, and strangely beautiful.
Red Dead 2 may give you the reins to be an outlaw, but in moments like this, it’s clear Rockstar wants you to feel like one, not just through gameplay, but through pure, gorgeously stolen cinema.