Honest Thief (2020)

Honest Thief (2020) is a straightforward action-thriller starring Liam Neeson in a role that feels comfortably familiar: a tough, principled man with a mysterious past, trying to do the right thing in a corrupt world. Directed by Mark Williams, the film attempts to blend moral redemption with gritty suspense, but the result is a mixed bag—entertaining in parts, yet ultimately predictable.

The story follows Tom Dolan (Neeson), a former bank robber who’s earned the nickname “In-and-Out Bandit” for stealing millions without leaving a trace. After falling in love with Annie (Kate Walsh), he decides to turn himself in and return the stolen money in exchange for a reduced sentence, hoping to start a clean life. However, things go sideways when two corrupt FBI agents (played by Jai Courtney and Anthony Ramos) decide to keep the money for themselves and frame Tom for murder.

What follows is a classic Neeson formula: a good man with a dangerous set of skills hunted by both the law and criminals. Neeson delivers a solid performance, as expected—his stoic intensity and quiet determination remain compelling, even if the material feels recycled. Kate Walsh brings warmth and likability to her role, though her character doesn’t get much development beyond being the love interest.

The action sequences are relatively tame by modern standards, with shootouts, car chases, and clever escapes, but they’re cleanly executed. The real issue lies in the script, which leans heavily on clichés and doesn’t offer much depth. The dialogue is serviceable but lacks nuance, and the villains are underwritten, with motives that feel a bit cartoonish.

Still, Honest Thief has its strengths. The pacing is brisk, the runtime is a lean 99 minutes, and there’s a certain charm in watching Neeson play a morally conflicted antihero. The film also touches—albeit lightly—on themes of accountability and justice, though it never digs deep enough to be truly thought-provoking.

In the end, Honest Thief doesn’t break new ground, but it doesn’t really try to. It’s an efficient, if unremarkable, thriller that will appeal to fans of Liam Neeson’s late-career action renaissance. If you go in with modest expectations, it delivers exactly what it promises: a guilty-pleasure ride with a familiar face doing what he does best.