Review: Bank robber meets serial killer in routine ‘The Last Heist’
In his films “The Gravedancers” and “Big Ass Spider!,” director Mike Mendez impressed B-movie addicts with a sense of humor and a willingness to reinvent the formulas of one genre by combining them with another. Mendez’s “The Last Heist” continues in that same vein, stitching together a bank robbery thriller and a slasher film. But while it has a sharp hook — and is reasonably diverting — it never rises above the routine.
Henry Rollins stars as Bernard, a serial murderer that the LAPD dubs “The Windows Killer,” due to his habit of removing victims’ eyes. Torrance Coombs plays Paul, an amoral ex-military operative who disastrously schedules a bank heist on the same day that Bernard is placing another “trophy” in a safe-deposit box. Carnage ensues.
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Guy Stevenson’s script excels when it brings new characters into the story, such as a hard-boiled police detective played by Victoria Pratt, and a private security team outfitted in SWAT gear. There’s a welcome element of social commentary in the characters who are reduced to earning money off the skills they learned while fighting pointless wars.
But just on the level of a caper picture and serial killer story, “The Last Heist” never delivers much in the way of nail-biting suspense or sharp twists. In its place, Mendez and Stevenson pile on backstory. All the audience really needs to know is what one of the many villains says at one point: “It’s a bad world all around.”
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‘The Last Heist’
Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 24 minutes
Playing: Arena Cinema, Hollywood
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