Thief: Why it May Be Michael Mann's Best Film

Michael Mann has had a career filled with solid hits. Here is why his 1981 film Thief might be his best.

Thief: Why it May Be Michael Mann's Best Film

Before Michael Mann participated in changing television with the iconic Miami Vice, he spent a good five years working as a writer on other television dramas. When this line of work had run its course, Mann looked to new horizons in filmmaking. His debut film, Thief, was released in 1981, to great critical acclaim, but little commercial success, gathering only $11 million at the box office. Over time, thanks in large part to the success of subsequent Mann films like The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, and Collateral, Mann's overall filmography became more well-known and the film gathered a cult following that has remained prevalent in film buff zeitgeist since, hailed by many to be among the best crime films ever made.