Heat (1995)

Heat is a 1995 American crime film written, co-produced and directed by Michael Mann, and starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer.^[3] De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief, while Pacino plays Lt. Vincent Hanna, a LAPD robbery-homicide detective tracking down McCauley's crew. The story is based on the former Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson's pursuit during the 1960s of a criminal named McCauley, after whom De Niro's character is named.^[4] Heatis a remake by Mann of an unproduced television series he had worked on, the pilot of which was released as the TV movie L.A. Takedown in 1989.

Heat was a critical and commercial success, grossing $67 million in the United States and $187 million worldwide (about $301 million in 2018)^[2] against a $60 million budget. It was well received by critics. The film-critic aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports 86% positive reviews, calling the film "an engrossing crime drama that draws compelling performances from its stars and confirms Michael Mann's mastery of the genre.

Neil McCauley (De Niro), a highly skilled career criminal, and his crew – Chris Shiherlis (Kilmer), Michael Cheritto (Sizemore), and Trejo – hire Waingro (Gage) to help them rob $1.6 million in bearer bonds from an armored car. During the heist, Waingro impulsively kills one guard, prompting another to reach for his concealed pistol, forcing the crew to kill him as well. McCauley gives the order to kill the third guard so as not to leave an eyewitness, but is furious with Waingro for the unnecessary escalation. The crew attempts to kill Waingro, but he escapes.

McCauley's fence, Nate (Voight), suggests he sell the stolen bonds back to their original owner, money launderer Roger Van Zant (Fichtner), who could profit by claiming the insurance on the bonds. Van Zant agrees, but instructs his men to ambush McCauley at the meeting. McCauley survives the ambush and vows revenge against Van Zant.

LAPD Major Crimes Unit Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Pacino) is called in to investigate the robbery, along with Sergeant Drucker (Williamson) and Detectives Casals (Studi), Bosko (Levine), and Schwartz (Trimble). An informant connects Cheritto to the robbery, and Hanna's team surveils him, leading them to the rest of the crew. When Hanna's team discovers that the crew's next target is a precious metals depository, they set up a stake out, but their presence is detected by McCauley and the crew abandons the job. Hanna opts to let them go so that he can continue gathering evidence against the crew rather than arresting them on a minor breaking and entering charge.

Despite the increased police surveillance, McCauley's crew agrees to one last brazen bank robbery worth $12.2 million to secure their financial futures. Hanna pulls over McCauley on the 105 Freeway and invites him to coffee. Face-to-face, the aging professionals realize that they've both prioritized excellence in their fields at the expense of their personal lives. Hanna admits that his third marriage with Justine (Venora) is near failure and the toll this takes on his step-daughter Lauren (Portman). McCauley confides that his solitary lifestyle has prevented him from finding a romantic partner, and that he doesn't know how to reconcile this with his feelings for his new girlfriend, Eady (Brenneman). Despite their mutual respect for one another's skill, they both acknowledge that they will not hesitate to kill the other if necessary. When he returns to his office, Hanna realizes that McCauley's crew have all slipped their surveillance.

Waingro threatens information out of Trejo, having made a deal with Van Zant to help eliminate McCauley's crew. Acting on a tip from Van Zant's bodyguard Hugh Benny (Rollins), the LAPD intercept the crew just as they are leaving the bank, resulting in a massive shootout in Downtown Los Angeles. Bosko and other police are killed, while McCauley loses Cheritto and his alternate driver Donald Breeden (Haysbert). McCauley subsequently arrives at Trejo's house to find his wife dead. A dying Trejo reveals Waingro's betrayal, prompting McCauley to kill Van Zant. Eady realizes that he is a criminal but ultimately agrees to flee the country with him. Shiherlis attempts to reconnect with his wife Charlene (Judd), who is helping the LAPD with a sting operation. She changes her mind and helps him escape, albeit without a way to keep their son Dominic in his life.

Hanna finds Lauren's body in the bathtub after a suicide attempt and rushes her to the hospital. He and Justine agree to go their separate ways after learning that she has survived. Meanwhile, McCauley is free to leave the country with Eady, but learns of Waingro's location and abandons his usual caution to seek revenge. The LAPD, acting on information from Benny, learns of McCauley's presence at Waingro's hotel. McCauley kills Waingro, but before he can return to Eady and escape, he is spotted by the arriving Hanna and forced to flee on foot, leaving her behind. Hanna pursues McCauley onto the tarmac at LAXand mortally wounds him. Hanna takes his hand as McCauley succumbs to his injuries.