November 22, 2018 – This is a heist drama from a different perspective, with some extra dimensions and twists. Like “Ocean's Eight,” it stars females in the important lead roles, but unlike that earlier film, it digs a lot deeper into the emotions of its characters and comes up with a lot more drama.

The film opens with a series of flashbacks revealing the relationships between three women and their husbands, who specialize in armed robberies in Chicago. The three women are Veronica Rawlings (played by Viola Davis of “Fences”) Linda Perelli (Michelle Rodriguez of the “Fast and Furious” movies) and Alice Gunner (Elizabeth Debicki of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”).

When the three women's husbands are killed by police in a robbery attempt, local crime boss Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry of “White Boy Rick”) comes calling on Veronica demanding the $2 million her husband, Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson of the “Taken” movies) stole from him in the robbery. Harry was the leader of the robbery team, and the brains of the operation. Jamal tells Veronica he will kill her if she doesn't hand over the money.

She discovers Harry's notebook, detailing plans for the next robbery, $5 million in cash. She sees this as a way to pay off her debt. She talks Linda and Alice into a daring plan to carry out her late husband's plans for the robbery by offering them a cut of the money. The other women need the money almost as badly as Veronica does. Harry's plans are quite detailed, with blueprints, and a way to obtain the combination to the safe. Another robber, Belle (Cynthia Erivo of “Bad Times at the El Royale”) is added at the last minute to fill an unexpected vacancy.

Jamal Manning is a crime boss, but he wants to go into politics. He plans to use the $2 million for his campaign against Jack Mulligan (Collin Farrel of “The Beguiled”). It turns out that Mulligan's secret stash of $5 million locked in a safe room in his house is what the women plan to steal. The bitter relationship between Jack Mulligan and his racist father, Tom (Robert Duvall of “Jack Reacher”) is detailed in the movie, along with the relationship between Jamal Manning and his violent brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya of “Get Out”).

The movie also delves into the racial politics of the contest between Jamal Manning and Jack Mulligan. A meeting between Jamal Manning and a local minister, Reverend Wheeler (John Michael Hill of the “Elementary” TV series) reveals that Reverand Wheeler is every bit as politically savvy as any local politician. His is the largest congregation in the ward. He can deliver votes for Manning, and he knows what that political leverage is worth.

Although Jamal tells his brother Jatemme to leave Veronica alone, Jatemme figures out what the women are up to and plans to get involved. This threatens to throw a monkey wrench into the whole operation. Along the way, the women find out that they are more capable than they thought they were. The men they are dealing with underestimate them, and pay the consequences. The women discover how to get things done with their own intelligence and strength.

Writer and director Steve McQueen (with co-writer Gillian Flynn of “Gone Girl,” based on the ITV series of the same name) has produced a rich story with detailed characters who fit into a broader social context. There are also some surprising twists. This is a good heist movie, but it is a lot more than that. This film rates a B.

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