Story Overview

The Ladykillers (2004) is a darkly comic crime caper centered on an eccentric criminal mastermind who hides his true intentions behind an air of intellectual pretension. Posing as a genteel professor, the smooth-talking Dorr (Tom Hanks) assembles a carefully selected team of specialists, each meant to play a crucial role in what he believes will be a flawless heist.

The group rents rooms from a seemingly harmless elderly woman, using her basement as a front for their meticulously planned operation. Beneath the surface, however, their assumptions quickly unravel. The criminals are far less brilliant than they imagine, and their landlady is far sharper—and morally firmer—than any of them anticipate.

As arrogance, greed, and incompetence collide, Dorr’s elaborate scheme begins to collapse in increasingly absurd ways. The film unfolds as a satirical clash between criminal vanity and unexpected virtue, blending Southern Gothic atmosphere with sharp wit and ironic twists that steadily turn the tables on its would-be masterminds.