Billy Bob Thornton And Bruce Willis Starred In A Heist Movie Worth Revisiting
When the news broke that Bonnie Tyler had passed away on July 8, 2026, my mind quickly leapt to the quintessential, husky-voiced, Welsh singer/songwriter's hits "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Both tunes have been deployed as choice needle drops across film history, as many folks no doubt associate the former with either 1984's "Footloose" (it was recorded for the movie's soundtrack) or 2004's box office mold-breaking "Shrek 2" (wherein Jennifer Saunders' Fairy Godmother famously belts out the song during the climax). But for me, these pop classics are inseparable from the 2001 heist dramedy flick "Bandits."
Directed by Barry Levinson, the picture casts Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton as Joe and Terry, two very different career criminal buddies. (Joe is a sensitive tough guy, whereas Terry is an anxious hypochondriac and the brains to Joe's brawn.) The movie around them is framed by clips from an episode of the fictional TV show "Criminals at Large," in which Joe and Terry pretend to be hardened convicts and force the series' host, Darren Head (Bobby Slayton), to interview them so they can reveal the "truth" about their exploits. However, through numerous flashbacks, we learn what the duo really got up to as the "Sleepover Bandits" — a nickname that refers to their highly unusual method for robbing banks, in which they (very politely) hold bank managers and their families hostage overnight so they can sneak into their banks and rob them before they officially open the next day.
As scripted by Harley Peyton, whose many other credits include the (weirdly, not streaming) Brett Easton Ellis adaptation "Less than Zero," "Bandits" is a witty, grand ol' time for multiple reasons ... which brings us to the Cate Blanchett (and Bonnie Tyler) of it all.
Bandits belongs to Cate Blanchett as much as Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis
When I think of "Holding Out for a Hero," the first thing that pops to mind is the sight of Cate Blanchett (with fiery red hair) slicing and dicing as she prepares an elaborate dinner, all the while dancing and lip-syncing to the song in "Bandits." Her character in the movie, Kate, is a passionate soul stuck in a loveless marriage. So, when she finally reaches her breaking point and runs away (sobbing and singing along to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in her car as she does), who should she cross paths with but Terry (in a meet-cute that's too funny to spoil)?
Far from being an unwilling hostage (as the public is led to believe), Kate is eager to join Joe and Terry in their law-breaking escapades and even winds up becoming romantically involved with both of them. "Bandits" doesn't resolve their love triangle in a traditional manner, either. It's one of many ways the film has aged unexpectedly well, along with its docuseries framing story (which was clearly commenting on the then-ongoing rise of reality TV in 2001 but remains quite relevant at a time when the recent true crime media boom has come under greater scrutiny).
Add that clever storytelling to the film's leads doing some of their best and most varied work (Blanchett is the true standout, while Billy Bob Thornton puts a funnier spin on the neurotic crook he played in Sam Raimi's crime thriller gem "A Simple Plan") and a superb soundtrack featuring songs by Bonnie Tyler, Bob Dylan, U2, Five for Fighting, and more, and "Bandits" certainly merits a revisit or a first-time watch. If nothing else, consider it a way to pay your respects to Tyler.