Summary
- Kevin Hart showcases his range as an actor, proving he’s adept in both serious and comedy-focused roles.
- Lift is a huge hit for Netflix, claiming the number-one spot on the Global Top 10 list since its release.
- Directed by F. Gary Gray, Lift bears strong similarities to The Italian Job in terms of narrative and characters but takes the heist to new heights with a thrilling airplane robbery.
Drifting away from his predominantly comedy-focused days, Kevin Hart has ventured into taking on more serious roles on screen. Portraying his range as an actor, Hart has starred in films such as 2021’s Fatherhood, where he took on the role of widower Matthew Logelin. Despite still bringing a sense of witty humor to the role, Hart proved that he’s just as adept in more serious roles as he is in comedy-focused parts. Hart’s latest project, Lift, a film in which Hart takes on the lead character, has again chosen a more serious route. Judging by the film’s rankings, the choice has paid off, as it’s a huge hit for Netflix.
Since its release in early January 2024, Lift has become a favorite among viewers and currently claims the number-one spot on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list. The film follows Hart’s Cyrus as he organizes an elaborate crime involving stealing bricks of gold from a moving airplane. With a team of talented crooks on his side, Cyrus manages to pull off the seemingly impossible heist. However, for anyone who has been a long-time fan of heist films, the narrative of Lift brings to mind another movie that premiered more than 20 years ago: The Italian Job.
Director F. Gary Gray Helms Both Films
Lift
- Release Date
- January 12, 2024
The similarities that Lift and The Italian Job bear could likely be attributed to the fact that both films are spearheaded by the same director, F. Gary Gray. Despite not being linked to each other and Lift being released more than 20 years after The Italian Job, anyone familiar with both films can instantly feel Gray’s influence on not just the narrative of the movies but also the characters. Even Hart himself, along with Bryan Smiley, noted Gray’s history with heist films. Lift, with its almost impossible stunts, the poignant need of a group of outlaws to do what’s right (admittedly with their own twist), and high-stakes action, bears a striking resemblance to The Italian Job.
Released in 2003, The Italian Job sees a group of crooks unite to seek revenge against a teammate who betrayed them. Their revenge is executed through the use of Mini Coopers. The cars are modified using various high-tech methods to meet the needs of the heist before the gang engages in a thrilling mission, which, obviously, is a success.
Taking a similar approach but lifting the action into the air and swapping out cars for planes in Lift, Gray has the team modify an airplane and do the unthinkable, including positioning and flying an aircraft directly beneath another plane. Cyrus and his team in Lift, similarly to Mark Wahlberg’s Charlie and team in The Italian Job, emerge victorious in their mission, saving the world and escaping with some loot.
Both Lift and The Italian Job Feature a Witty, Talented Crew of Thieves
Lift also appears to be The Italian Job on wings thanks to the crew that is assembled for the heist. Cyrus’s gang comprises seven international thieves, including mastermind Cyrus Whitaker, played by Kevin Hart. He is joined by Vincent D’Onofrio as Denton, a master of disguise, Úrsula Corberó as Camila, the talented getaway pilot, Viviek Kalra as Luke, the engineer on the team, and electronics whiz Mi-Sun, played by Yun Jee Kim. No heist movie is ever complete without its talented safecracker, and for Lift, that comes in the form of Billy Magnussen as Magnus. Cyrus’s love interest and final member of the team is Interpol agent and ex-girlfriend Abby Gladwell, portrayed by the talented Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
10 Movies Like Lift to Watch Next
If you enjoyed Kevin Hart’s latest heist comedy movie, Lift, you’re bound to dig these 10 movies next.
Where the Lift crew comprises seven skilled thieves, The Italian Job falls one short, drawing up at six after being double-crossed by an ex-teammate. Mark Wahlberg’s Charlie Croker is the Cyrus Whitaker of The Italian Job, masterminding and steering the heist. Charlize Theron takes on the role of Stella Bridger, Croker’s love interest and safecracker rolled up into one.
The rest of the team comprises Jason Statham as Handsome Rob, Seth Green as Lyle, Yasiin Bey as Left Ear, and Franky G as Wrench. Croker’s crew carries the same humor, wit, and talent as Cyrus’s gang in Lift. However, one significant difference between the two films is the diversity apparent in Lift‘s crew. Whereas The Italian Job had only Theron on its team, Lift has significantly more female representation and has also been more inclusive in terms of race.
Million Dollar Heists Ending in Gold
Despite taking the heist to air, the main aim of Lift is to steal bricks of gold, the same as the end objective in The Italian Job. Hart’s film modifies the plane, taking into account how the weight of the gold might come into play, similarly to how Charlie factors the weight of the stolen loot into the Mini Coopers. Although Lift, a film released in 2024, could have gone the route of more intricate forms of wealth, Gray sticks to what he knows, setting up another heist for $500 million worth of gold bricks.
Netflix Released a Female-Led Heist Movie, But What Is It?
This French movie follows two women on the run who must work together to steal their freedom. It is action and drama screaming for your attention.
The strongest resemblance to The Italian Job is drawn perhaps in how the team cracks open a high-tech safe to discover bar upon bar of gold and in the celebration that ensues after drenching up the bricks dropped from the sky for themselves at the end of their mission. The manner in which the team celebrates, with each opting to do what they desire with their share of the wealth, is also quite similar to the path that Charlie’s gang takes in The Italian Job.
Despite the strong similarities that Lift bears to The Italian Job, choosing to establish its most significant difference from the 2003 film by taking the heist 40,000 feet into the sky, both movies offer engrossing, action-packed watches. Admittedly, The Italian Job has a stronger narrative, with a more emotion-fueled backstory propelling the heist. However, Lift, with Hart’s wit, the quirky dynamic of the team, and the almost impossible feat of stealing a safe of gold while it flies on a plane, is an entertaining, light-hearted watch that is, at times, somewhat predictable with a few heist cliches, but still an enjoyable watch nonetheless. Lift is now available to stream on Netflix, while The Italian Job is streaming on Paramount+.
Stream Lift on Netflix
Stream The Italian Job on Paramount+
