Thoughts from the committee
Bullets ring out across LA streets in Michael Mann’s (Thief, Manhunter) operatic crime tragedy of cops and robbers for whom, despite everything they might tell themselves, “the action is the juice”. A signature action film of the 1990s and one of the great heist films of all time, in 2026 we’re bringing the Heat to the Embassy.
Neil Macclauley (Robert De Niro) is the master thief planning one last job with his crew; Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino, showcasing the Nic Cage method of mega-acting) is the driven detective, hot on the trail. Both men are committed to their work over everything else and are on a collision course with each other. Mann’s cool style is perfectly executed here in the grey and blues of Los Angeles’ empty freeways and glass towers. Supporting the two leads (sharing the screen for the first time since the Godfather Part II, and actually on camera together for the first time), the ensemble cast is outstanding (including Ashley Judd, Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore).
Its tone and virtuosic action sequences have formed the cornerstone of modern crime cinema. Heat has shaped countless films and TV series, from The Dark Knight to prestige TV dramas. Its influence is everywhere, but few have matched its blend of technical bravura and emotional weight. We can’t wait to see and hear this one on the Embassy screen.
“He films L.A in bold, unhackneyed style, finding in its cast industrial spaces a mirror of the void his characters are trying to fill. It’s that void – and those characters – that make Heat an unusually soulful action movie.” – John Wrathall, Sight & Sound