The amazing parade of true crime content continues as Netflix adds a heist flick to its flotilla of serial killers and murder mysteries. The new docu-series, This Is A Robbery, follows the incredible true story of the 1990 burglary that relieved Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of 13 priceless works of art – many, like the Storm of the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt, masterpieces. To this day, it remains history’s biggest art heist – and a total mystery.
Thirty-one years after the caper, no suspects have been arrested and none of the stolen art pieces have been returned, yet the series hopes to change that by jumpstarting the conversation in the era of internet sleuths and data-sharing – and who knows, with the help of the Netflix bump, they might just have a shot.
Boston natives (and brothers) Colin and Nick Barnicle became obsessed with the local legend back in 2014 and spent the past seven years digging through evidence and interviewing the detectives, museum personnel, and eyewitnesses involved. The result is a four-part ode to the Gardner Museum while charting the “art collecting” of Boston’s criminal underground and the missteps of investigators as they fail to lockdown a suspect.
Like so many great documentaries these days, the series lays out the details in easy-to-digest nuggets while recreating the fateful night with dark, vibe-laden reenactments. But how does it compare to the greatest heist movie of all time co-starring, Bernie Mac? Place your bets as This Is A Robbery goes head-to-head with Ocean’s Eleven.
Cover Photo: Netflix & Warner Bros Entertainment
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While we’ve technically reached a stalemate, bringing in Matt Damon to tie this baby up is a little unfair. But hey, life’s unfair. Just look at these two heist movies. If you like mysteries, mobsters, fine art, and creepy photos of dudes in duct tape masks, This Is A Robbery is your dream flick. If you prefer Brad Pitt snacking, acid-jazz-pop, and a contrived plot that’s as smooth as a polyester collar, Ocean’s Eleven all the way. Just don’t get any ideas – a man was hospitalized in 2019 after attempting to rob the Bellagio, so leave the heisting to the professionals.
Winner: Tie
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Heist Battle Netflix v Oceans 11
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The Mark
There's no arguing the Bellagio is a pretty swanky set-piece to host George Clooney's probation caper. But at the end of the day, it's just one of 51 casinos on The Vegas Strip. On the other hand, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, built in the style of a Venetian palace in 1900, is a one-of-a-kind treasure and an incredible setting for the biggest art heist in history.
Winner: This Is a Robbery
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The Players
This Is A Robbery has no shortage of interesting characters (with varying degrees of Southie and Brahmins patois). Who can forget the stoned security guard who went to trip acid at a Grateful Dead concert the day after the heist or the local art thief who traded a Rembrandt for his freedom? Ocean's Eleven, while having assembled one of the deepest A-list casts of any movie ever made - is basically just a celebrity pool party parading as a heist flick.
Winner: This Is a Robbery
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The Heist
For any heist film worth its salt, the impact hinges on the crime itself - and over the top is usually better. Unfortunately, the actual heist within This Is A Robbery is non-existent. Spoiler Alert: It was two middle-aged guys pretending to be cops who were buzzed in by the stoned security guard. No one even scaled a wall or crawled through an underground shaft. And there were no backflips, explosions, diversions, fight sequences, laser beam dances, or system hacks. All things considered, the heist itself is completely underwhelming.
Winner: Ocean's Eleven
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The Getaway
The two thieves (dressed as cops) who robbed the Gardner Museum had no one on their trail. They spent a leisurely 81 minutes robbing the place before waltzing off into the night - no alarms sounding, no police en route, and no one the wiser to what they had done until the next morning. Their post-heist evening probably consisted of them driving home to watch reruns of Night Court and snoozing.
Winner: Ocean's Eleven
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The Score
Twenty years ago, the $160 million Ocean's Eleven stole seemed like a lot of money. But with today's overnight billionaires, it's barely enough to buy a house. Split between ten accomplices, the take is only $16 million apiece. To put that in perspective, the value of art stolen from the Gardner Museum totaled half a billion dollars (in 1990), an insane figure that dwarfs any other heist. Plus, it was like priceless art and shit.
Winner: This Is a Robbery
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The Victims
Casino owner Terry Benedict is a prick - so we're actually happy when he gets robbed in Ocean's Eleven. In stark contrast, the victims in This Is A Robbery, are the city of Boston and the millions of art appreciators around the world who didn't deserve to get jacked like that. Isabella Gardner gifted her collection to the public, stipulating in her will that if anyone should alter her museum, the whole collection would be shipped to Paris and sold at auction. So the theft is really the public's loss.
Winner: This Is a Robbery
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Running Time
Steven Soderbergh's first popcorn flick clocks in at roughly two hours. The new Netflix four-part documentary series comes in at nearly double that. While the plot slowly thickens, there aren't nearly enough twists, turns, and revelations to compete with the Hollywood version.
Winner: Ocean's Eleven
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Matt Damon
One film has Boston's very own, one film does not. Nuff said.
Winner: Ocean's Eleven
