Here are some of the most exciting caper films of the 1970s where every plan is audacious, every move is calculated, and every twist is utterly unexpected.
30. The Gravy Train (1974)
Two drifters concoct a scheme to rob a small town's bingo game, but their plan spirals out of control amid unexpected complications and comic misadventures.
29. The Domino Principle (1977)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%
A man imprisoned for murder is recruited by a mysterious organization to assassinate a political figure, plunging him into a conspiracy beyond his understanding.
28. The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (1970)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%
A suspenseful tale of a woman who steals her boss's car for a joyride to the seaside, only to become entangled in a confusing murder plot.
27. The Black Bird (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%
A comedic sequel to 'The Maltese Falcon', where Sam Spade's son becomes entangled in the chase for the legendary statue, leading to zany adventures and double-crosses.
26. Bank Shot (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%
A group of eccentric criminals plan to steal a bank by literally moving the entire building, leading to a series of humorous and unexpected events.
25. The Amsterdam Kill (1977)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%
A former narcotics agent seeks revenge against a drug ring in Amsterdam, leading to a dangerous underworld of corruption and betrayal.
24. The Burglars (1971)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%
In Athens, a skilled burglar and his crew plan a heist of emeralds from a well-guarded house, but they face unexpected challenges from a corrupt police inspector pursuing them.
23. Hustle (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%
A hard-nosed detective discovers a high-class call girl's death is linked to a government cover-up, leading him into a murky world of corruption and intrigue.
22. The Drowning Pool (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%
Private detective Lew Harper investigates a blackmail case in Louisiana, leading to a complex web of deceit, murder, and family secrets.
21. The Mackintosh Man (1973)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 55%
A British spy thriller where a secret agent allows himself to be imprisoned to infiltrate an organization that arranges jailbreaks for criminals, leading to a complex escape plan.
20. The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 56%
A computer programmer turns to high-stakes burglary in Houston's high society, using his wit and charm to outsmart the detective on his trail.
19. The Nickel Ride (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 59%
A low-level mob "key man" in Los Angeles struggles to keep his life and business intact amid growing pressures and betrayals in the criminal underworld.
18. The Big Bus (1976)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%
A spoof of disaster films, focusing on the maiden journey of a nuclear-powered bus heading from New York to Denver, filled with over-the-top characters and ludicrous situations.
17. The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%
A biographical drama about a barnstorming pilot in the 1920s who dreams of being a movie stunt pilot, exploring themes of heroism and the end of an era in aviation.
16. The Silent Partner (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%
A bank teller anticipates a robbery and secretly stashes the money for himself, leading to a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the criminal who comes back for his share.
15. Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%
A comedic mystery where a food critic and his ex-wife investigate a series of murders targeting Europe's greatest chefs, each killed in a manner reflecting their signature dishes.
14. The First Great Train Robbery (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%
In Victorian England, a master criminal plans an elaborate heist to steal gold from a moving train, involving disguises, double-crosses, and daring escapades.
13. The Brink's Job (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Based on a true story, a group of small-time criminals in Boston plan and execute a large-scale heist of a Brink's armored vehicle, leading to unexpected consequences.
12. 11 Harrowhouse (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
A small-time diamond merchant is coerced into pulling off a major heist at a heavily guarded diamond exchange, leading to a twist-filled caper.
11. The Hot Rock (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
A comedic heist film where a team of thieves repeatedly attempts to steal a valuable diamond, each time facing comical setbacks and challenges.
10. A Piece of the Action (1977)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Two con men are blackmailed by a retired detective to teach job skills to underprivileged youths, leading to humorous situations and unexpected personal transformations.
9. Charley Varrick (1973)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
A former stunt pilot turned criminal accidentally robs a mob bank, leading him and his partners into a deadly game of survival against both the police and the mob.
8. Going in Style (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%
Three elderly friends, fed up with their monotonous lives, plan and execute a bank robbery for excitement, leading to unexpected consequences and reflections on aging.
7. $ (Dollars) (1971)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
Set in Germany, a bank security expert and a call girl hatch a plan to rob several safety deposit boxes containing illegal funds, leading to a complex game of cat-and-mouse with the criminals chasing them.
6. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
A seasoned bank robber and a young drifter team up for one last heist, leading to a journey filled with humor, drama, and betrayal.
5. Gumshoe (1971)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
A British comedy-thriller about a bingo caller who, inspired by classic detective stories, becomes a private eye and finds himself entangled in a real case involving a mysterious woman and a drug conspiracy.
4. The Big Fix (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
A former 1960s activist turned private detective is hired to solve a scandal involving his old friends, leading to a complex web of political intrigue and personal rediscovery.
3. The In-Laws (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
A comedy about a mild-mannered dentist whose life turns chaotic when he discovers his future in-law is a rogue CIA agent with a penchant for dragging him into dangerous adventures.
2. The Late Show (1977)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
An aging private detective teams up with a quirky actress to solve a friend's murder, leading them through a trail of Hollywood's dark side and eccentric characters.
1. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding passengers hostage for a ransom, while outwitting the police in a tense and cunning standoff.