Robert De Niro’s Classic ’90s Movie That Inspired Grand Theft Auto Is Now Streaming

Michael Mann revealed only a few days ago that he finally finished the screenplay for Heat 2, and while we wait on tenterhooks for the long-awaited sequel, you can stream the original 1995 classic on Netflix as of today.

Heralded as “a god among American crime thrillers”, Heat is an action thriller about a professional thief, Neil McCauley — played by the legendary Robert De Niro — as he attempts to pull off one final heist. But, every step of the way, he’s dogged by police detective Vincent Hanna, who is played by the equally legendary Al Pacino. It also stars icons like Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Natalie Portman, and the eternally underrated William Fichtner.

If you haven’t seen the film before, you’ll have no doubt felt its influence. The developers at Rockstar are clearly fond of Mann’s classic crime thriller, as Michael De Santa in Grand Theft Auto 5 appears to be based on McCauley, and there’s even a direct homage to the movie in the mission Blitz Play (Michael says as much, revealing that he based the heist on a Vinewood action film)

The mission plays out much the same as Heat’s opening armored car heist, and to earn a gold rating (ie the “cliché” award), you have to equip your crew with white hockey masks, just like those worn in the film. And when you blow open the van’s doors, a guard screams, “My fu**ing ears! I’m fu**ing deaf!” — exactly what happens to the guard in Heat who gets shot by Waingro.

So, whether you’re excited for Heat 2 and want a refresh, or are just interested in what helped Rockstar shape one of the most successful video games in the medium, now’s the perfect time to go back to the 1995 original, as this star-studded crime thriller is available to stream right now.

Netflix

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