Michael Mann’s debut film, Thief (1981), is getting a stunning new 4K release this week from The Criterion Collection. Originally released on Criterion years ago (Spine #691), this new edition offers a glorious 4K restoration that has been approved by Mann himself. The director’s cut is presented in Dolby Vision HDR, with an additional Blu-ray disc packed with special features and extra content, including a 5.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.
This 4K, Blu-ray combo set includes an audio commentary featuring Michael Mann and the film’s lead actor James Caan (who passed away in 2022), along with interviews with Mann, Caan, and Johannes Schmoelling of the band Tangerine Dream, who composed the film’s iconic synth-heavy soundtrack. Also included are the original trailer and an essay by Nick James, diving into the film’s cultural impact.
Thief is one of Michael Mann’s most electrifying films—a cool, tense heist movie and character study that still resonates as one of the best debuts ever by a director. The film stars James Caan as Frank, a highly skilled jewel thief looking to retire after one last job so he can finally settle down with his girlfriend, Jessie (Tuesday Weld). When Frank agrees to work with Leo (Robert Prosky), a dangerous gangster, he quickly learns that leaving his criminal past behind is more difficult than he anticipated. The movie’s taut pacing and moody atmosphere set the tone for many of Mann’s later films like Heat, Collateral, Blackhat, and Ferrari.
The 4K release of Thief coincides with a special Michael Mann collection available for streaming on The Criterion Channel throughout March 2025. This collection includes Thief, Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Ali, The Insider, Collateral, and Heat—an essential viewing for anyone interested in Mann’s work.
Here’s what The Criterion Collection had to say about Thief: “The contemporary American auteur Michael Mann’s bold artistic sensibility was already fully formed when he burst out of the gate with Thief, his debut feature. James Caan stars, in one of his most riveting performances, as a no-nonsense ex-con professional thief planning to leave the criminal world behind after one last score—but he discovers that escape is not as simple as he’d hoped. Finding hypnotic beauty in neon and rain-slick streets, sparks and steel, Thief effortlessly established the moody stylishness, tactile approach, and drama that would also define such later iconic Mann films as Heat, The Insider, Ali, and The Last of the Mohicans.”
The 4K edition of Thief (1981) is available March 11, 2025 from The Criterion Collection, offering a definitive version of Mann’s breakout film.