IMDb RATING
6.6/10
4.4K
YOUR RATING
In this true-crime documentary, a charismatic rebel in 1990s Seattle pulls off an unprecedented string of bank robberies straight out of the movies.In this true-crime documentary, a charismatic rebel in 1990s Seattle pulls off an unprecedented string of bank robberies straight out of the movies.In this true-crime documentary, a charismatic rebel in 1990s Seattle pulls off an unprecedented string of bank robberies straight out of the movies.
Scott Scurlock
- Self - Bank Robber
- (archive footage)
- (as William Scott Scurlock)
Alban Pfisterer
- Self - Scott's Friend
- (as Alban 'Snoopy' Pfisterer)
William Scurlock
- Self - Scott's Father
- (archive footage)
Featured reviews
I really enjoyed this documentary. It's not often a documentary directly recruits the perpetrators to explain their side of the story, and it's even rarer where you end up routing for the bad guys. What's unique about this doc is that it really explains how these group of bank robbers were not hardened criminals but rather an eclectic group of educated misfits, and used their smarts to, well, outsmart the banks and the cops and eventually FBI for so long.
What's also nice is that this doc is very honest. The cops made mistakes. They aren't perfect and they aren't exactly Americas brightest (only need a high school degree and a few weeks of training to be a cop). They also got very trigger happy in the end. These robbers were yes, robbers. But they never hurt anyone. They never shot anyone. Never hit them, never took hostages etc. However the police and by extension the feds really wanted to scare the banks/public into thinking Hollywood was this violent unhinged monster just waiting to snap in the hopes they would get tips coming in as to who these guys were, when all evidence contradicted this notion. They end up having a shoot out against guys with jammed guns, lying that they shot first. You can't fire an unloaded or jammed weapon... so how could they "shoot first". Then the story changed to, "we saw them carrying a rifle in the van's rear window" despite them clearly stating numerous times the windows we blacked out and you could not look through any of the windows except the front windshield...
Then when one of the robbers offs themselves, the police then fire 76 freaking rounds into the corpse. Absolutely disgusting. What isn't stated in this documentary (but stated in other videos, look it up) is that a by standard got hit from the police reckless, excessive rounds.
Great documentary. Definitely very cool to learn how these guys planned their heists and strategized to evade the police for long.
What's also nice is that this doc is very honest. The cops made mistakes. They aren't perfect and they aren't exactly Americas brightest (only need a high school degree and a few weeks of training to be a cop). They also got very trigger happy in the end. These robbers were yes, robbers. But they never hurt anyone. They never shot anyone. Never hit them, never took hostages etc. However the police and by extension the feds really wanted to scare the banks/public into thinking Hollywood was this violent unhinged monster just waiting to snap in the hopes they would get tips coming in as to who these guys were, when all evidence contradicted this notion. They end up having a shoot out against guys with jammed guns, lying that they shot first. You can't fire an unloaded or jammed weapon... so how could they "shoot first". Then the story changed to, "we saw them carrying a rifle in the van's rear window" despite them clearly stating numerous times the windows we blacked out and you could not look through any of the windows except the front windshield...
Then when one of the robbers offs themselves, the police then fire 76 freaking rounds into the corpse. Absolutely disgusting. What isn't stated in this documentary (but stated in other videos, look it up) is that a by standard got hit from the police reckless, excessive rounds.
Great documentary. Definitely very cool to learn how these guys planned their heists and strategized to evade the police for long.
It was interesting to see how ordinary people can get sucked into things. But didn't do it because they needed to or were being blackmailed. But chose to do it..it is very respectful of Scott, pretty celebratory, too celebratory I personally think. It makes all the agency about him, not his accomplices. It feels uncomfortable the way it seems to celebrate what they all did because they are white, from 'good families ', attractive. It was still bank robberies. People were traumatised and in danger. That gets mentioned briefly towards the end but most of it ignores that. It is very interesting how a narrative can tell a story and influence your views of someone. In this he is almost a hero, being free, living his life. But also Robbing people of their's with the trauma. I'm not perfect, I don't know what I'd do in any situation..I know what is hope I'd do. And I work with people who have done things seen as worse or not as bad. I work with ex prisoners, current prisoners and vulnerable people and it's interesting that with a lot of those people I get the privilege and joy of seeing them as a human being, their strengths and hopes, resilience and circumstances. And the role of trauma and circumstances in the situations we find ourselves in. We are given that here. But we are not given the view of the victims who I also should remember in my work. And in this documentary. We are however given the view of his family. Who were respectfully represented here. But I wonder how this could have been presented had Scott been a black male, maybe an asylum seeker. The drug dealing is almost skipped over, his mental health is presented in a very different way to how it would be if it was someone else. The nudity. The weapons. This would have been very different had he been poor, ethnic minority, a refugee. And quite probably in what would be considered more dire circumstances.
It was an interesting and well done documentary, but the major flaw was that it tended to make a hero out of the villain.
ABOUT MY REVIEWS:
I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.
My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.
ABOUT MY REVIEWS:
I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.
My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.
True crime doc based on a string of bank robberies in 90s Seattle, this is a decent show coming in at 86 mins. Anything more would have been too drawn out, glad they decided not to go the three episode route with this story.
There's not much to watch visually; while there are some old clips and photos used, the doc mainly uses old audio and interviews from the present time. Several motion posters have also been used. So, you can either play it in the background or if you'd rather 'watch this as a podcast', that'll work too. If you have 1.5 hrs to spare and aren't sure what watch as a true crime content enthusiast, this should be on your list.
I wonder if Netflix true crime docs are all beginning to look and sound the same.
There's not much to watch visually; while there are some old clips and photos used, the doc mainly uses old audio and interviews from the present time. Several motion posters have also been used. So, you can either play it in the background or if you'd rather 'watch this as a podcast', that'll work too. If you have 1.5 hrs to spare and aren't sure what watch as a true crime content enthusiast, this should be on your list.
I wonder if Netflix true crime docs are all beginning to look and sound the same.
The story has so many layers to it. I was completely locked in from the moment it started. The world of Scott Scurlock was so fascinating. Definitely a movie worth watching. The hippie meth dealer turned bank robber lived in this insane treehouse he built himself but then got addicted to the adrenaline high of robbing banks. Nicknamed Hollywood he took notes out of movies like Heat and Point Break. I loved all the different perspectives throughout the movie- from the accomplices to former friends, FBI agents and local law enforcement. This story is rich with content and super entertaining. Music was great and they incorporated drawings/sketches which added to the value and 90's era vibe. This movie was SO good!!!
Did you know
- Quotes
Self - Scott's Friend & Accomplice: There's no school for bank robbery.
- ConnectionsFeatures FX : Effet de choc (1986)
- SoundtracksYou Got It (Keep It Outta My Face)
Written by Dan Peters, Mark Arm, Matt Lukin and Steve Turner
Performed by Mudhoney
Courtesy of Sub Pop Records
[5m]
Details
- Runtime
- 1h 28m(88 min)
- Color
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