Masterminds (2016)

Masterminds is the kind of true-crime caper that doesn’t swagger so much as stumble forward with a grin, turning an infamous heist into a warm, wonderfully silly comedy of bad decisions and big personalities. Jared Hess leans into an offbeat, sunny Southern vibe where the danger is real but the laughter comes first, and the movie’s secret weapon is how affectionately it treats its would-be criminals even when they’re in way over their heads. Zach Galifianakis is in peak physical-comedy form, with Owen Wilson’s easy charm and Kristen Wiig’s sly timing keeping the whole thing buoyant and brisk. If you’re allergic to broad slapstick or PG-13 crude jokes, it may not be your flavor—but if you want a light, relentlessly watchable crime comedy powered by a game cast, this one goes down easy.

Masterminds wants to turn a real, jaw-dropping heist into a goofy, Southern-fried farce, and on paper that’s a perfect fit for Jared Hess and this cast. The problem is it plays like a collection of half-finished sketches: the pacing is choppy, the set-pieces feel oddly flat for a crime comedy, and the “wacky” tone keeps stepping on the story instead of sharpening it. Zach Galifianakis is game and Kristen Wiig/Owen Wilson have a few bright moments, but the movie rarely cashes in on its own stranger-than-fiction premise. If you’re hoping for a clever heist, tight laughs, or anything with real momentum, this will likely feel like time lost; if you just want low-stakes, mildly crude silliness with familiar faces, you might coast along fine.