Film

The Split

Name: The Split
Genre: Action, Crime
Released: 1968
Cast: Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, Ernest Borgnine, Julie Harris, Gene Hackman

Other titles called The Split: the 2018 series (BBC iPlayer).

A slick 1968 heist film where a diverse crew of criminals plans an audacious stadium robbery. Sharp, propulsive, and anchored by Jim Brown's charismatic lead performance, it captures the style and swagger of late-sixties crime cinema. For anyone who loves Ocean's Eleven-style capers with genuine tension and a cast full of character actors at their best.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy lean, grubby heist pictures where the planning and the grind of a crew at work matter more than gadgetry, and a 1968 cast with Gene Hackman in it sounds like a draw.

Skip it if you need slick, playful twists or a brisk pace, because this moves at a steady, unhurried clip and its tone stays hard-edged rather than fun.

What it asks of you: Roughly ninety-one minutes, with patient setup and a crime plot that rewards attention to who is doing what, so keep your eyes on the detail.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Ocean's Eleven1960

The ur-text for ensemble heists: stylish, funny, and built on the chemistry between its ensemble cast. Sinatra, Lawford, Martin—watching them con Vegas is pure pleasure, and it practically invented the template The Split refines.

But The plot is thin and the execution ramshackle by modern standards. It runs on charm alone, and charm doesn't land the same way for everyone.

The Italian Job1969

Released just a year after The Split, it's the other masterpiece of late-sixties heist cinema: funny, thrilling, and blessed with one of cinema's great ensemble casts. The climax is unforgettable.

But Some of the comedy hasn't aged perfectly, and the gender politics are firmly of their era. The ending divides people sharply.

Rififi1955

The spiritual grandfather of all modern heists: a French film that essentially invented the silent-sequence robbery and the meticulous caper structure. Tense, elegant, and genuinely inventive in ways that still feel fresh.

But It's in French with subtitles, and the pacing is deliberate rather than propulsive. Patience required.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Split

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Big Doll House1971

Both are ensemble crime films from roughly the same era that cast actors of color in lead roles when that was genuinely rare, and both use a caper structure to explore character and community.

A women's prison heist film where the twist is that everyone's motives are real and messy. Pam Grier, Carol White, and Jeanne Bell plan an escape, but the film is interested in who they are, not just in the heist mechanics.

But The exploitation elements are genuine and uncomfortable. It's a blaxploitation-adjacent film of the era, with all that entails. Some sequences feel dated and offensive.

The Getaway1972

Steve Reeves and Ali MacGraw fleeing across America with bags of money. A raw, kinetic crime film that balances intimate character work with genuine danger. Peckinpah at his most streamlined.

But The violence is brutal and frequent. It's a film about desperation, not fun, which isn't everyone's speed.

Topkapi1964

A jewel heist in Istanbul led by Melina Mercouri, Peter Ustinov, and Maximilian Schell. Funny, colorful, and constructed like a watch. It proves heist films don't need swagger to be compulsive.

But The tone is closer to caper-comedy than crime-thriller. Some will find it too whimsical, others too foreign.

Dog Day Afternoon1975

A bank robbery that spirals into something far more complex: a character study, a hostage drama, and a meditation on desperation. Pacino is extraordinary, and Lumet makes tension feel inescapable.

But It's heavy and emotionally draining. There's no charm or wit here—only pressure and sadness. Not a fun watch.

Charley Varrick1973

Walter Matthau as a small-time crook who robs the wrong bank. A master class in economical storytelling, wit, and genuine thrills. Don Siegel directing a heist film—what more do you need?

But It's understated to the point where some viewers find it slow. The humor is dry and won't work for everyone.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle1973

Robert Mitchum as a low-level criminal navigating Boston's underworld. It's Crime Cinema 101: unglamorous, intelligent, and deeply American. A film for people who want heists to feel real.

But There's no heroism here, and the plot meanders. It's a mood piece about failure and compromise, which can feel depressing.

The Killing1956

Kubrick's debut: a racetrack heist told in fractured chronology with a cast of noir archetypes. Audacious and influential in ways that shaped every heist film that followed, including The Split.

But The fractured narrative can feel confusing on first viewing. It's also very much a product of 1950s filmmaking, which may feel dated.

Heat1995

Where The Split is a tight, character-driven ensemble heist, Heat expands the form into an epic. Both films believe that the real drama is in how professionals think and move, not in plot twists.

Michael Mann's magnum opus: a three-hour dialogue between a master cop and a master thief, punctuated by some of cinema's greatest action sequences. Every frame is composed like a painting, and the performances are monumental.

But It's glacially paced and utterly humorless. The runtime is genuine—this is not a breeze. Mann doesn't explain things or hold your hand.

Thief1981

Like The Split, it's fascinated by how criminals think and plan, but Thief uses that fascination to build toward despair rather than exhilaration. Both films make crime look intelligent and cool while suggesting that cool and intelligent people are trapped.

Michael Mann again, but earlier and tighter: James Caan as a jewel thief trying to go straight. The film is a poem about professionalism, technique, and the impossibility of escape. Mann's aesthetic is fully formed here, and it's hypnotic.

But The emotional payoff is bleak. This isn't a fun heist—it's a tragedy wearing a caper suit. And Mann's style, for all its beauty, can feel cold and remote.