Plot Summary

Inspired by the true story of one of America’s most legendary bank robbers, The Old Man & the Gun earned Robert Redford a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. The film is based on the extraordinary life of Forrest Tucker, whose charm and audacity turned him into a folk hero despite a lifelong career in crime.

Tucker (Robert Redford) is a charismatic outlaw who has escaped from prison an astonishing 18 times by the age of 70, continuing to carry out a series of polite yet daring bank robberies across the United States. As he and his loyal crew move from town to town, Tucker unexpectedly gains public admiration, baffling both authorities and civilians alike.

Determined to put an end to Tucker’s improbable crime spree, ambitious detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck) becomes obsessed with bringing him to justice. Meanwhile, Tucker forms a tender and unlikely romantic bond with Jewel (Sissy Spacek), a woman who chooses love over law, even after learning the truth about his criminal life.

Directed by David Lowery, the film is a reflective and elegiac farewell performance by Robert Redford, supported by an outstanding cast including Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Elisabeth Moss and John David Washington. Blending warmth, humor, and melancholy, The Old Man & the Gun is less a crime story than a meditation on freedom, aging, and the irresistible pull of living life on one’s own terms.