Bandit

Most people think of Canadian crime and envision someone stealing a jug of maple syrup or perhaps a very polite disagreement over a hockey puck. We don't typically associate the Great White North with the most prolific bank robber in North American history. Yet, here we are with Bandit, a film that feels like a breezy, 1980s-set spiritual cousin to Catch Me If You Can, dropped into the 2022 streaming landscape with surprisingly little fanfare.

I watched this on a Tuesday night while nursing a mild case of "new pillow neck strain," and honestly, the sheer charisma radiating off the screen was better than any heating pad. It’s the kind of mid-budget, adult-skewing drama that used to dominate the multiplex in the 90s but has now been relegated to the "New Releases" row on your favorite streaming app. It’s a shame, too, because this is the exact type of "dad movie" that deserves a wider audience.

The Duhamel Renaissance

For years, I’ve viewed Josh Duhamel as a perfectly capable, handsome actor who usually gets stuck playing the sturdy military guy in Transformers or the "safe choice" in a Nicholas Sparks adaptation. Josh Duhamel has spent two decades being "the other guy who looks like Timothy Olyphant," but here he finally finds his own skin. As Gilbert Galvan Jr. (alias Robert Whiteman), Duhamel is an absolute revelation. He plays a career criminal who escapes a Michigan prison and flees to Canada, where he realizes that the banks are essentially guarded by "please and thank you."

Duhamel leans into the theatricality of the role. Since Galvan was known as "The Flying Bandit" for his habit of flying across the country to pull off multiple heists in a single day, he had to rely heavily on disguises. We get Duhamel in a rotating wardrobe of Spirit Halloween wigs, prosthetic noses, and questionable mustaches. It’s a performance that requires him to be a salesman first and a thief second, and you can see him having the time of his life. He’s not playing a monster; he’s playing a guy who found a loophole in the social contract and decided to drive a truck through it.

Grumpy Mentors and Grounded Stakes

Adding some veteran weight to the proceedings is Mel Gibson as Tommy, a local gangster who realizes Galvan is a golden goose. Gibson has settled into this "crusty mentor" phase of his career with ease, and his chemistry with Duhamel provides the film with its best comedic beats. It’s a reminder that regardless of his personal baggage, the man knows how to command a frame with just a squint and a smirk.

The heart of the film, however, is Elisha Cuthbert as Andrea. In many crime biopics, the wife role is a thankless task—she’s either the moral scold or the oblivious victim. Elisha Cuthbert (whom I’m thrilled to see in a meaty role again) makes Andrea a real person. She knows Robert is up to something, but the film treats their relationship with a refreshing lack of judgment. They are two people trying to build a life in a world that feels increasingly rigged against the little guy.

The direction by Allan Ungar (the guy who directed that viral Uncharted fan film with Nathan Fillion) is snappy and surprisingly colorful. He avoids the desaturated, gritty "true crime" aesthetic that plagues so many modern dramas. Instead, he embraces the 80s setting with a vibrant palette that matches the protagonist’s optimism. The film moves at a clip, though at 126 minutes, it does occasionally feel like it’s checking off a few too many boxes of the "rise and fall" template.

A Relic of a Different Era

The most interesting thing about Bandit is how it fits into our current cinematic moment. We are currently drowning in a sea of "content"—multi-million dollar franchise installments that feel like they were written by a committee of algorithms. Bandit feels human. It’s a film about a guy who was just really, really good at his weird, illegal job. It doesn’t try to set up a cinematic universe or deconstruct the nature of morality; it just tells a great story.

It’s one of those films that likely "failed" by traditional box office standards because it was dumped onto VOD and limited theaters simultaneously, but it has found a second life through word-of-mouth. It turns out that audiences are actually starving for movies about people who don't wear capes or possess the ability to shoot lasers out of their eyes.

Interestingly, the real Gilbert Galvan Jr. actually has a cameo in the film. He’s the guy at the bar who gives Duhamel a nod. It’s a fun meta-moment that speaks to the film’s affection for its subject. Despite robbing 59 banks, the real Galvan never used a loaded gun. That detail is the secret sauce of the movie—it’s a heist film where the tension doesn't come from the threat of violence, but from the possibility of the charm wearing off.

Ultimately, Bandit is a polished, highly entertaining crime caper that succeeds because it understands its own limitations. It doesn't aim to be The Godfather; it aims to be a movie you'd be happy to find while flipping channels on a hotel TV at 11:00 PM. It’s a showcase for Josh Duhamel, a fun comeback for Elisha Cuthbert, and a solid reminder that sometimes, truth really is stranger—and much funnier—than fiction. If you're looking for a film that feels like a breezy throwback with a modern edge, you could do a lot worse than spending two hours with the most polite bank robber in history.