Best movies like Man Detained

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Man Detained Starring Bernard Archard, Elvi Hale, Paul Stassino, Michael Coles, and more. If you liked Man Detained then you may also like: Night Owls, Quicksand, Klepto, Bait, The Battle at Elderbush Gulch and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

movie

A petty burglar sets a chain of events in motion when he steals some money that the owner doesn't want the authorities to know about.

selected filters: Sort: Default

You may filter the list of movies on this page for a more refined, personalized selection of movies.

Still not sure what to watch click the recommend buttun below to get a movie recommendation selected from all the movies on this list

Know any good movies to watch like Man Detained 1961. With a similar plot or stoyline. Suggest it.

Night Owls

Policeman Edgar Kennedy is told by his chief he better stop a string of burglaries that have been happening on his watch or else he will get the sack. He persuades vagrants Stan and Ollie to rob the chief's house so he can regain his reputation by catching them. The policeman promises to later get the boys off. Things do not go as planned.

Quicksand

Young auto mechanic Dan Brady takes $20 from a cash register at work to go on a date with blonde femme fatale Vera Novak. Brady intends to put the money back before it is missed, but the garage's bookkeeper shows up earlier than scheduled. As Brady scrambles to cover evidence of his petty theft, he fast finds himself drawn into an ever worsening "quicksand" of crime.

Klepto

Emily Brown is a kleptomaniac with a penchant for watches. She shoplifts and has an apartment full of things she doesn't need. Nick Ruiz is a department store loss prevention specialist who dislikes his job. He needs some fast cash to start his own private security business. One day Emily enters a department store and her compulsion to steal sets her in motion. Nick catches her on tape and instead of arresting her, he becomes intrigued and pursues her. After the two have become involved, Nick forces Emily to use her unique talent to bail him out of a bad situation. The outcome results in a climactic turn of events where justice plays its hand.

Bait

Landing in jail for a petty theft crime, Alvin finds himself sharing a cell with John Jaster, the incarcerated half of the pair of high-tech thieves responsible for the missing gold. His partner, Bristol, is still at large. Alvin wants only to get out of prison and start fresh with his girlfriend, Lisa, and when the Feds, led by U.S. Treasury investigator Clenteen, set him loose on a sketchy deal, he thinks his luck has changed. Alvin has his freedom and the Feds have found their bait.

The Battle at Elderbush Gulch

Two young girls are sent away to live with their uncle, which sets off a chain of events resulting in an Indian attack on the town.

Bug

A small boy squashing an insect sets in motion a series of events, large and small, that include a lost restaurant reservation, a drunken fender-bender, disruption of basic cable television service, and more than one relationship falling apart. One person's disaster becomes another's boon, and vice versa--because a man loses his job, a young girl becomes the lead ballerina in the school play, which in turn causes the death of a pet pig. These characters weave around Los Angeles and each other as seemingly mundane events fall into place, putting them on a collision course with a common fate and one heroic act of competence.

Steal Me

Chasing his wayward mother to Montana, fifteen year old Jake finds the picture perfect Tucker family instead who photoshop him into their lives, despite his questionable past. Too bad Jake can not stop himself from stealing, being seduced by the sexy next door neighbor, courting the mother of the house, encouraging the son in his first love affair, and leading the neighborhood boys in an ever escalating series of pranks. A drama about stealing radios, cars, and hearts

The Perfect Weapon

In a not too distant future, a totalitarian state run by ‘The Director” controls all aspects of life. All enemies of the state are dealt in the harshest way. Most of them are executed by the secret government’s assassins. The best operative is code-named “Condor” – an elite agent and hit man for the government. However, in his latest assignment, “Condor” fails to kill an opposition leader, and finds himself on the run from the very same government agency that he works for. This sets in motion a chain of events with unforseen consequences for all involved.

Crackers

Garvey is a San Francisco pawnshop operator. His unemployed and criminal friends Dillard, Turtle and Weslake, team up with Boardwalk, a local pimp, to burgle Garvey's shop while the owner is out of town. During the elaborate planning process, Dillard falls for a Hispanic woman, the sister of a friend. Boardwalk is assigned to case a local apartment, where he meets and falls for the maid. Amidst all these romantic hijinks, Weslake puts together a burglary plan, which is executed by the makeshift gang.

A Daring Daylight Burglary

A thief jumps a fence and removes the shutter from a house. He enters, but a lad who's witnessed the crime runs off to hail the coppers. The first officer on the scene climbs the fence, enters the house, and is soon fighting with the thief on the roof. Falling from the roof, the officer is injured and requires an ambulance. Meanwhile, the thief flees, pursued by more men in blue.

Gambit

Harry Dean is a career burglar set on stealing a piece of priceless art from the world's wealthiest man, Mr. Shahbandar. With the help of exotic showgirl Nicole Chang, he concocts the perfect scheme for how the robbery should go and lays it out point by point. However, when the team tries to execute the plan, perfection and reality don't quite match up, and Harry's vision begins to unravel in this twisty tale of a heist gone wrong.

Free Willy

When maladjusted orphan Jesse vandalizes a theme park, he is placed with foster parents and must work at the park to make amends. There he meets Willy, a young Orca whale who has been separated from his family. Sensing kinship, they form a bond and, with the help of kindly whale trainer Rae Lindley, develop a routine of tricks. However, greedy park owner Dial soon catches wind of the duo and makes plans to profit from them.

Hell's Belles

When hot-headed Dan out-drives the thoroughly vicious Tony in a motorcycle race and wins a brand new bike, he sets in motion a chain of events that includes one blazing gas station and a disastrous rock slide.

The Renata Road

Looking for peace, solitude and an escape from the outside world a mysterious stranger checks into a remote hotel. Reluctantly drawn into the lives and activities of the hotel's guests it soon becomes terrifyingly clear that all is not as calm and serene as the management would have him believe. A chance encounter with the hotel maid sets in motion a chain of events that will take the Stranger to the very edge of sanity, and threatens to destroy the lives of everyone present.

It's the Rage

A rich cross-section of urban USA find their lives changed when their fates collide at gunpoint. At the centre of it all are Helen and Warren Harding, an up-scale couple on the brink of divorce, whose awakening in the night by a burglar sets off a catastrophic series of events.

Pickup on South Street

In New York City, an insolent pickpocket, Skip McCoy, inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he targets ex-prostitute Candy and steals her wallet. Unaware that she has been making deliveries of highly classified information to the communists, Candy, who has been trailed by FBI agents for months in hopes of nabbing the spy ringleader, is sent by her ex-boyfriend, Joey, to find Skip and retrieve the valuable microfilm he now holds.

The Mirror Boy

The Mirror Boy is a mystical journey through Africa, seen through the eyes of a 12 year old boy, Tijan. After a London street fight, in which a local boy is hurt, Tijan's mother decides to take him back to their roots, to Gambia. On their arrival in Banjul, Tijan encounters a strange apparition, a boy smiling at him in a mirror and vanishing. Seeing the same boy in a crowded street market the next day sets in motion a chain of events, with Tijan finding himself lost. While Tijan's panic-stricken mother struggles to find her son, Tijan is left alone in the company of the enigmatic Mirror Boy, seemingly only visible to him. After a bruising spiritual rite of passage, The Mirror Boy takes Tijan on a mystical journey, but not all is what it seems.

The Smokers

Tired of being used and abused by the opposite sex, three girlfriends decide to turn the tables on the guys who cross them by teaching them a sex-ed lesson they'll never forget! But their little scheme backfires when their secret gets out, and when one of the school's jocks goes too far, he sets into motion a chain of events that could change all their lives forever.

London Heist

Armed robber and career criminal Jack Cregan seeks to discover the truth behind his father's murder and his stolen heist money and in doing so puts his life in danger. The devastation that Jack soon discovers puts his very own existence into question.

Blind Trust

A government ministry's fast-rising head of security asks a shadowy fixer, Meursault, to steal a bag from an armored truck. Meursault goes to Théo, a former night club owner, in prison for two years on false charges, who's being released in exchange for information about Montreal's underworld. Théo agrees to steal the bag for money and safe passage to the US for himself and his son Robin. Théo brings in two helpers, Gilder, ex-con and set designer, and Roxanne, Gilder's friend, a tough-minded petty thief. Their elaborate plan blows up when a guard, Marcel, takes his responsibilities too seriously. What happens to father and son? Will any of the thieves escape

Following

Bill, an idle, unemployed aspiring writer, walks the crowded streets of London following randomly chosen strangers, a seemingly innocent entertainment that becomes dangerous when he crosses paths with a mysterious character.

Guns Girls and Gangsters

Chuck Wheeler gets out of the Pen and sets up an elaborate heist of Vegas casino money travelling by armored truck. He enlists the help of shady club owner Joe Darren and his ex-cellmate's wife, Vi. Vi's husband Mike is a trigger happy and jealous hothead and will not grant her a divorce. Mike escapes from prison right before the armored truck job goes into motion and promises trouble as he tries to locate his associates and his wandering wife.

Firetrap

Master burglar Max Hopper is released early after three years and soon gets an exceptional job: stealing an advanced computer-chip from the IQ Industries headquarters. His first attempt fails; when he enters in cop uniform during an emergency board meeting, a fire quickly spreads- he considers it a godsend opportunity and stays, but soon has his hands too full saving other lives and just surviving to concentrate on the chip; only the owner, his wife who just filed for divorce and a few employees remain, but it soon turns out one of them stole company secrets but the arsonist and/or another chip-thieves are among them.

Canvas

A young artist is desperate for money to save his brother from the mob. Drawn into a criminal world of theft, betrayal and murder, his only way out is to get in even deeper. If he fails, it could cost him his life.

Victimless Crimes

A pair of art thieves steal a painting, believing that no one will get hurt. The gallery owner gets his insurance money and the thieves have been paid, but could they be mistaken?

He Who Rides a Tiger

Peter Rayston, has been in and out of prison most of his life. At 30, he is released for the eighth time, after serving a sentence for housebreaking. Immediately, he goes back to his old life, providing for his expensive tastes by executing a series of daring burglaries

Age Out

Fresh out of foster care at age 18, a young drifter turns to petty crime to survive, and discovers an impossible love in an unlikely friend.

All of It

A hip, 25-year-old New York editor is about to return to her midwestern hometown, steeled for a visit with her larger-than-life über-mom, and steadfast in her commitment to avoiding a staid family life of husband and 2.5 children by age 29. That is until her boyfriend turns up by surprise, and sets in motion a chain of events that will cause her to see past her mother's facade of designer clothes and country club lunches to the pain of a woman caught in a rocky marriage, and give her mother an understanding of the life she equipped her daughter to choose.

39 Stripes

Former chain gang convict Ed Martin converts to Christianity in prison in 1944 and forms the HopeAglow Prison Ministries.

The Poltergeist of Borley Forest

On a night of teenage partying in the woods, Paige unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events that plunge her into a waking nightmare. Tormented by terrifying and increasingly violent supernatural visitations, Paige starts digging into the past and uncovers a sinister secret, buried for decades. Behind the force that now haunts her is a malevolent entity of unspeakable evil. As its power grows and her friends fall prey to its savagery, can she (or anyone) stop The Poltergeist of Borley Forest?

Hot Money

Three women, Bridget, Liz and Jackie, embark on a plan to steal thousands of pounds of banknotes that were due to be destroyed at the Bank of England's incinerating plant in Essex. Fictionalised account of a real-life case.

We Still Steal the Old Way

The explosive follow-up to We Still Kill The Old Way (2014). Regarded as the best in the business, The Archer Gang is an aging criminal outfit who carry out a daring robbery, but are caught mid-heist. They are sentenced to do time in Britain's toughest prison. Once inside, they encounter their old nemesis Slick Vic Farrow (Billy Murray) who is intent on murdering the gang. The old-school criminals need to use all their wits to stage a daring escape, while dodging Slick Vic, and setting in motion a chain of events which leads to an explosive prison riot.

Pistolera

A ruthless drug lord murders the family of a little girl in Spain, he makes a fatal mistake: letting her live, setting in motion a bloody chain of events in this tale of revenge and its cost.

No Saints for Sinners

Mickey O'Hara is a committed IRA member but his days of freedom fighting are long gone, leaving him peddling drugs and disenchanted with "the cause." When a deal goes wrong, things take a dramatic turn for Mickey, who is forced to kill his partner. Marked for death, Mickey flees to LA, determined to make a fresh start and leave his violent past behind. When a close friend runs afoul of some powerful drug dealers, Mickey temporarily resorts to his old ways to help him get out of trouble. However, instead of making things better, Mickey unwittingly sets off a chain of events that reawakens the ghosts of his past and threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. Written by Trinity Filmed Entertainment

A Cold Day in Hell

In the near future, when the creator of planet earth has had enough. Fed up with man's constant failure in becoming a peaceful race, he sets into motion a series of events that will test man's true nature.

Ping!

Ping is a chihuahua rescued from the pound by nearsighted Ethel, who thinks he's a cat. When a pair of bumbling thieves try to break into Ethel's house to steal the money they think she has stashed away, only Ping can foil their plans.

The Big Money

Petty thief Willie Frith steals a suitcase full of bank notes, only to find out that they have been given all the same serial number. But this is only the start of his troubles, now he has to find a way of changing the notes, so he can impress the barmaid of his local pub.

Bayou Caviar

Rodney is a former boxing champ who, after a deathbed visit to his trainer and mentor, is propelled into reclaiming victory for his now simple life as a nightclub bouncer. He partners with a no-nonsense, lesbian photographer and an aspiring starlet to make a compromising tape with Isaac—a married, devout, Orthodox Jewish real estate mogul—that sets off a chain of events that brings down an empire.

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek

After a mass shooting at a police funeral, reclusive ex-cop Gannon finds himself unwittingly forced out of retirement when he realizes that the killer belongs to the same militia he joined after quitting the force. Understanding that the shooting could set off a chain reaction of copycat violence across the country, Gannon quarantines his fellow militiamen in the remote lumber mill they call their headquarters. There, he sets about a series of grueling interrogations, intent on ferreting out the killer and turning him over to the authorities to prevent further bloodshed.

The Story of Junkie Junior

Junior Rios started using heroin when he was 15. At age 29, Junior is a father of three. To support his $200-a-day heroin habit, he scours the rooftops of the South Bronx for materials he can sell. When he's finally caught, he enters an aggressive rehab program. Meanwhile, his ex has moved on, and is trying to make a better life for herself and their children.

Unexpected Grace

Grace finds a note from a schoolgirl looking for a friend. Since Grace is still trying to find her place in her new hometown, she excitedly writes back and sets off a chain of events that ultimately changes the lives of three people.

Ultrasound

After his car breaks down, Glen spends one hell of an odd night with a married couple, setting into motion a chain of events that alter their lives plus those of several random strangers.

The Burglar

Burglar Nat Harbin and his two associates set their sights on wealthy spiritualist Sister Sarah, who has inherited a fortune -- including a renowned emerald necklace -- from a Philadelphia financier. Using Nat's female ward, Gladden, to pose as an admirer and case the mansion where the woman lives, they set up a perfect break-in. Things get complicated afterwards.

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical

A musical version of the classic story of the mean spirited Grinch who plots to steal Christmas from Whoville.

A Cosmic Christmas

Three aliens from an unknown planet, who bear a strong resemblance to the Biblical Magi, visit earth to know the true meaning of Christmas. Peter, a young boy, and Lucy, his goose, are the first to encounter them. Unable to find the true meaning of Christmas in town, Peter takes them to his family's house in the woods. While Peter's grandmother tells the aliens about her memories of Christmas, Marvin, one of the town's bullies, steals Lucy. In the chase to rescue Lucy, Marvin falls through the ice in a lake. Peter attempts to rescue him but falls into the lake as well. The townsfolk, who were out searching for the aliens, attempt to save the boys but their human chain isn't long enough to reach them. The three aliens, who had sworn not to interfere with events on earth, decide to help in order to learn the meaning of Christmas.

The Man with My Husband's Face

When a woman's husband disappears during a kayaking trip, everyone assumes that he drowned. When she catches a glimpse of a man who looks exactly like him, it sets off a chain of events that unravels everything she thought she knew about him.

Rainfalls

Taylor Royce is the strait-laced preacher who is an easy mark for his twin brother's femme-fatale wife, Brenda. But she has more than an extra-marital affair on her mind as she manipulates the preacher into stealing money from his church. Events soon spiral out of control as more infidelities are revealed and a random murder spree occurs in the noir-type thriller.

The Missing Million

Rex Walton, millionaire man-about-town, mysteriously disappears on the eve of his wedding after an attempt at blackmail by infamous criminal The Panda. His plucky sister Joan aids the police in their investigations, but Rex’s disappearance sets in motion a chain of violent and incomprehensible events when blackmail turns to murder...

The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring

In a candid, first-time interview with Rachel Lee, the so-called teenage mastermind behind a string of high-profile celebrity robberies in 2008 and 2009, the film examines the motivations of Lee and a group of her friends who broke into celebrity homes in Hollywood to ransack and steal, exploring the possible reasons behind her actions including mental health issues and addictions, as well as the climate of celebrity excess that fueled the teens, recontextualizing the events behind the sensational headlines.

More related lists

Sort results by:

X close
Default
Clear filters
...