Den of Thieves
Directed by Christian Gudegast,2018’sDen of Thieves’ending explain a major twist that expose the film ’s honest felonious mastermind . The finale does n’t of necessity explainwhya group of criminals would sell their ally orhowthey were able to flee with millions . The key to understandingDen of Thieves’ending is to compensate very close attention . ThoughDen of Thievesreceived a lukewarm reception from critics , it seemed to unite with consultation more than expect and became a surprisal box office hit .
A big part of what hearing seemed to care in the heist movie was the final twist . It is the sort of disclosure that convert everything the audience thought they knew and bring in them require to revisit it again to see if they can spot the clues . While critics did n’t purchase it , the audience scotch of 63 % prescribed appearance that the ending might have beencreative enough to keep viewers wanting more . Indeed , there are many footstep that led to that unexpectedDen of Thievesending that audiences can explore in deep point .
What Happens In Den Of Thieves (A Brief Recap)
Big Nick Is Trying To Stop A Thief Named Merrimen
Den of Thievesinitially seems to misdirect the good guy rope vs. bad guys assumption . Gerard Butler stars as Detective Nicholas " Big Nick " O’Brien , who make it at a Los Angeles crime scene and offers up a lumbering dose of toxic masculinity . Sure , his conversancy do n’t quite like him . However , his intimate roofy of"regulators"are ferociously patriotic , evidence by a party succession in which they kidnap and question a local mixologist named Donnie Wilson ( O’Shea Jackson Jr. ) .
The basal difference inDen of Thievesinvolves Big Nick figuring out the scope of Merrimen ’s next stickup .
Big Nick put forward that he and his gang are therealbad guy rope , forcing Donnie to give up information about his criminal comrade Ray Merrimen ( Pablo Schreiber ) . The primary battle inDen of Thievesinvolves Big Nick figuring out the scope of Merrimen ’s next heist . As it turn out , the Los Angeles Branch of the Federal Reserve is the crew ’s next target . Specifically , Merrimen plan to steal $ 30 million of"unfit"money ( currency with no serial numbers ) before it ’s rip up .
Merrimen’sDen of Thievescrew consist of Donnie , Levi ( 50 Cent ) , Bosco ( Evan Jones ) , and Mack ( Cooper Andrews ) . Crucially , Merrimen does n’t explainwhyhe know so much about the inner working of the Federal Reserve . However , everyone trusts him because of their military and high school sports connections(which Big Nick identifies during his investigating ) . Meanwhile , Merrimen use his girl and Donnie to feed in Big Nick information about a project objective in Montebello , but that ’s just one part of a larger architectural plan .
What Happens In Den Of Thieves' Ending
Big Nick Realized Donnie Was Actually The Mastermind
At Pico Rivera Savings & Loan , Big Nick ask to catch Merrimen ’s gang but quickly realizes that something is different about this particular heist . For one , the crew threatens to vote out civilians , which is n’t part of their usual operating routine . Still , Big Nick hold off it out after Merrimen seemingly blows up a cant vault while look for his demand to be met . Big Nick then realizes that the gang has elude , and that he ’d been flim-flam .
Den of Thieves’climax builds to a massive gunplay during a traffic fix , culminate with the end of Merrimen , Bosco , and Levi .
Next , Merrimen ’s crew executes the Federal Reserve rip-off they ’d been preparing for all along . But after escaping , Donnie is detained by Big Nick and give up the rally degree . Meanwhile , Merrimen drops communicating with Mack after learning about Donnie ’s detainment and attempts to escape with Bosco and Levi . Den of Thieves’climax builds to a monumental shootout during a traffic jam , culminate with the death of Merrimen , Bosco , and Levi .
Original SR Image by Shawn Lealos
Den of Thievesends with Big Nick ’s find that the stolen Federal Reserve money was all shredded . He also earn that Donnie somehow managed to escape . Big Nick then pay a sojourn to Ziggy ’s Hafbrau , the"neutral place"where he ab initio confronted Donnie earlier in the moving picture . After taking a look around and reflect about past conversations , Big Nick realizes that Donnie was indeed the true originator .
The final second ofDen of Thieves’ending explain that Donnie is now working in London
A abbreviated montage reveals that Donnie had been collecting selective information on napkins for an blanket point of time , and then come near his former Marine pal , Pablo Schreiber ’s Merrimen , with a heist plan . The final seconds ofDen of Thieves’ending explained that Donnie is now working in London and apparently plotting to rob a nearby ball field interchange .
Custom Image by SR Image Editor
Merrimen’s Federal Reserve Heist Plan
Merrimen Execuuted The Plan Perfectly But Donnie Betrayed Him
On the control surface , Merrimen ’s Federal Reserve heist goes as planned . He creates a beguilement at Pico Rivera Savings & Loan and successfully escapes through a toilet scheme . Merrimen and Levi then gather access to the Federal Reserve"nerve center"by disguising themselves and counterfeit a money drop , using the stolen armored fomite from originally in the film and money from a rave heist .
From there , Merrimen and Levi dump a money tub containing Donnie , who gains admittance to the count room after Bosco turn out the office . Donnie then locate the unfit money before it ’s shredded , and makes sure to flatten the bag into a garbage truck that will leave the edifice .
Merrimen arrive at the junkyard rallying point while Bosco highjack a garbage hand truck carry the money .
Using intel from Mack ( Cooper Andrews ) , Donnie begin his plan ’s masterstroke . After he successfully scat , he locates a boxed repast that he hide earlier while nominate a degenerate - intellectual nourishment delivery . Nowpretendingto be a deliveryman , Donnie manages to get past security on his room out before getting hold up by Big Nick . Meanwhile , Merrimen reaches the junkyard rallying stage while Bosco hijack a refuse motortruck dribble the money ( the driver is divulge to be one of Donnie ’s Friend ) .
Merrimen fundamentally lives by the torpedo and drop dead by the gun inDen of Thieves . He stays straight to a specific code of conduct but does n’t counter that Donnie would betray him by manipulating the planto his reward . In term of storytelling , Merrimen and Big Nick share alike caliber : they are two masculine human race with supreme opinion in their skills . Ultimately , they ’re but cat’s-paw in the game , which theoretically sets up the premiss forDen of Thieves 2 : revenge and jurist .
How Donnie Ends Up With The Money In Den Of Thieves
Donnie Made All His Plans While Bartending
InDen of Thieves , Merrimen ’s plan is actuallyDonnie ’s plan . Evidenced by the last collage , Donnie orchestrated the intact Federal Reserve holdup by collecting information while bartending at Ziggy ’s Hofbrau . Of of course , he could n’t carry through the plan alone , so he reached out to a military acquaintance , Merrimen , while secretly plotting with his old sports brother — Mack , Alexi ( Oleg Taktarov ) , and Bas ( Max Holloway ) .
Once Donnie attain access to the Federal Reserve count room , he keeps the money for himself in a hidden old bag . It ’s ultimately give away that Bas was the driver who result the Federal Reserve with different handbag of money and that Alexi had the unsound and un - traceable heist money sent to Panama . Early inDen of thief , Donnie makes a telling statement while bartending kitty - turning point from the Federal Reserve :
“ I ’m in complete control of my environment , and people do n’t even know . ”
The last scene inDen of Thievesshows Mack , Alexi , and Bas drinking at a London pub while Donnie bartends and plans the next job , which could presumably inform the story ofDen of Thieves 2 .
What Den Of Thieves Gets Right About Real Bank Robberies
The Director Hired A Robbery Expert As An Advisor
Den of Thievesmay seem improbable at times , but Gudegast did indeed prove to make it feel authentic . For a expert consultant , he reportedly hired L.A. robbery expert Bill Rehder — the author ofWhere The Money Is — and also used sources from the LAPD , the military machine , and a former leader of Hell ’s Angels [ viaBustle ] . The cinema ’s story can be easy and handily picked aside by critics who sawDen of Thievesas aHeatripoff .
Still , the blend of reality and fantasy is what makesDen of Thievesso challenging and popular among general moviegoers . agree toDen of Thievesdirector Christian Gudegast,“Truth is not only strange than fiction , it ’s much more fascinating than fable . "
Den Of Thieves Ending Song Explained
“Legendary” By Welshly Arms
To fully appraise theDen of Thieves’ending , it ’s also deserving shit bill ofthe song used at the end of the film : " Legendary " by Welshly Arms . kick in how well the song accommodate into the picture ’s final events , it ’s well-situated to wonder whether " Legendary " was compose specifically forDen of Thieves . However , the song actually come out two years prior to the film ’s release . Not only does the song set an efficient tone , but its lyrics also aid underscore some ofDen of Thieves’biggest themes .
" Legendary " hit No . 17 on the U.S. Alternative Rock charts in 2017 .
In particular , the lines " Been daydream of the payoff / Through the struggles and the trade - offs/ combat tooth and nail on the path up " parallel the thieves ' motivations , while " Eventually they ’re gon na fuck who ’s right / To make a stand , you ’ve got to bring home the bacon the fight " and " You got ta subsist without a compromise " encapsulate Gerard Butler ’s hardboiled movie persona . Such synchronizing is knockout to detect , but " Legendary " endsDen of Thieveson a defiant note .
Custom Image by SR Image Editor
The Real Meaning Of The Den Of Thieves Ending
Never Underestimate (Or Trust) Anyone
The big twist at the last was a betrayal and one that no one should have fallen for in the movie . Big Nick is a cop who is single - focused on bringing in the bad bozo . He have a go at it not to commit anyone , yet he is so minute - focused on Merrimen that he does n’t even consider that someone like Donnie could even be a scourge . Meanwhile , Merrimen lives by a codification of demeanor as a thief and never once consider that his own people could betray himto get a bigger cut for themselves .
The two side are so focused on their hyper - focussed goals ( cease Merriment , draw off the heist ) that neither of them encounter the man who is really pull out the strings
This leaves the two sides so focused on their hyper - focussed goals ( end Merriment , pull off the heist ) that neither of them examine the gentleman who is really rip the strings . Biog Nick completely drops the ballock when he ca n’t see Donnie as any form of terror , mostly considering him a low - liveliness follower . Merrimen is so consecrate to pulling off the holdup with " honor , " he ca n’t see men in his circle plotting against him . Donnie plays them against each other and comes out the success in the end .
Where Den Of Thieves 2’s Story Goes Next
Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera
reach the success of the first movie and the coquette of theDen of Thievesending , it ’s small surprisal thatDen of Thieves 2arrived in 2025 . Gerard Butler returned for the sequelDen of Thieves 2 : Panteraalong with O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Donnie . TheDen of Thievessequel revolves around Donnie stepping up as the principal felonious mastermind with Big Nick hot on his track , though this time , the action takes place in Europe . Donnie sees what could be the biggest diamond heist of his lifetime , and he never expects Big Nick to show back up to get in the way .
How The Den Of Thieves Ending Was Received
Responses From Critics Didn’t Align With Viewers
TheDen of Thievesending is one of many reasons the 2018 motion-picture show stay heatedly consider aspects , with both critic and audiences expressing inviolable - and often conflicting - views . With its rapid - fire tempo and unexpected twists , the ending ofDen of Thieveshas been hailed by some as a gamy - octane climax that perfectly encapsulate the picture show ’s unapologetic way , while others contend that its narrative shortcomings were one of many issues with a problem - laden film .
Many supporters of theDen of Thieves ’s finale and wide-eyed story praise its commitment to never get too bogged down in realism . In his review forRoger Ebert , critic Glenn Kenny talk as one of many critics who infer thatDen of Thievesshould be exact for what it is - a pulse - pound action thriller :
“ Den of Thievesnever really gets that cryptical , and turns out not to be all that terribly serious a picture anyway . ”
However , Glenn Kenny ’s appreciation for the tincture ofDen of Thievesdidn’t wash over with many of his peers . Many critics had boundary line - scathing reply toDen of Thieves , such as Mick McCahill publish forThe Guardian . While he did n’t single out the ending specifically , McCahill ’s take onDen of Thievestakes into report the whole view experience , finale admit , and force out the answer as scantily a flick :
“ Analogue in its effects , it ’s the kind of atavism that may just win over video - shop nostalgists – though they ’ll still have to plow through hunk of unraised commonplace , a dumb - as - nuts final fanfare , and so much pec - flexing and armed alpha willy - waggle it often resemble a men ’s rights bonding weekend more than it does a movie . ”
Another critic who did n’t take well toDen of Thievesis James White ofEmpire . White ’s review was similarly scathing , and labeled the secret plan from starting time to fetch up as predictable :
“ Gudegast stages one effective sequence that generate substantial tension , but otherwise it ’s strictly seen - it - all - before crime thriller territorial dominion , to the point that you could open up one of thoseI - Spybooks and spot the various expected story consequence : the strip club , the early meeting between the steer , the tooling - up scene , etc .
Still , as much as many critics were n’t shiver by theDen of Thievesending , or the wide-cut movie , director Christian Gudagest ’s 2018 offense thriller still has a strong pursual . There are many who felt the closing perfectly suited the tonus of the film , and who palpate that its flawless execution of a relatively by - the - numbers narrative hold up as a solid , easy - going high - octane sentry .
Your Rating
Your comment has not been bring through
Cast
Written and directed by Christian Gudegast , Den of Thieves is an Action and Heist film starring Gerard Butler , O’Shea Jackson Jr. , Curtis " 50 Cent " Jackson , and Pablo Schreiber . The film envision a mathematical group of ex-husband - Marines that are seek to steal from the Federal Reserve .
