This week on Netflix, among the trending movies, there is the documentary film “How To Rob a Bank.” According to the specialized website FlixPatrol, the movie is the eighth most-watched in the US, becoming the top documentary on the platform.
The film is directed by Seth Porges and Stephen Robert Morse. Porges is known for being the co-director of “Class Action Park,” while Morse has been producer of other documentaries such as “Amanda Knox.”
While the movie might actually offer a detailed explanation of how to rob a bank, filmmakers explain that their goal is the contrary. “This is a movie about how you shouldn’t be a bank robber,” Porges told Times. “This is a story about what it means to live a double life, what it means to live a life of lies, and how unsustainable that is.”
What is ‘How to Rob a Bank’ about?
The film tells the true story of Scott Scurlock, who in the 1990s pulled off a whopping 19 confirmed bank robberies in the Seattle area, stealing more than $2.3 million with the help of some friends. He was known as the “Hollywood Bandit,” because he used costumes and makeup to disguise his identity.
The story is told mostly from the perspective of Mark Biggins and Steve Meyers, who were Scurlock’s accomplices. However, the filmmakers also interview Scurlock’s family and other friends, have access to his diary and talk to journalists about the robberies.
According to the documentary, Scurlock has always wanted to make a lot of money, and so he did several things to earn it, including cooking meth. He studied films like “Point Break” and “Heat” to learn how to become a bank robber. However, he was quite a lonely, strange figure, who also donated his money to friends in need and lived in a treehouse.
While they made several successful robberies, they were caught, and Scurlock shot himself to death, while Meyers and Biggings were sentenced to 21 years and 3 months in prison. The documentary has received positive reviews, especially for its insights behind Scurlock’s psychology and more.
