Mikes Film Talk

How to Rob a Bank on Netflix shows us the “Hollywood way” to crime. The real bandit, Scott Scurlock got the nickname “Hollywood Bandit” from the law enforcement officials trying to catch him. Despite a pretty prolific career, things do not go well for the makeup king of robbers. This documentary shows how he finally got caught.

The story

In the mid nineties Seattle Washington was gointg through a self-repeating cycle. A bandit was robbing the same banks over and over. Many in the same day. This prolific bank robber was calm, collected and completely in charge of the banks he robbed.

Hollywood looked different for every bank robbery. He used makeup and prosthetics to change his appearance. Despite the prolific run of luck Scurlook had in obtaining his ill gotten gains, He inevitably got careless.

The players

Hollywood the bank robber was in fact Scott Scurlock. A charismatic and enigmatic man who lived in a three story treehouse that he helped build. His close circle included men who were helping him rob the banks. Scurlock could have quit at anytime, but his search for something big to finish kept him going.

Of course the Hollywood bank robber had friend outside his small criminal circle. Friends who were shocked to learn who Scott really was.

As Scurlock’s “crew” expanded, so too did his problems. Sadly, his life was going down the tubes. He showed, however, an amazing ability to think outside the box. Just looking at his triple storied treehouse shows incredible imagination and the will to follow through with his dreams.

The treehouse also shows a number of layers. These layers could well represent the layers that made up Scurlock. A man of so many different parts. Parts that were only shared with certain people. At certain times.

The inevitable ending

Things for the Hollywood bank robber end badly. Scurlock may have envisioned a better result at the end of his”masked” robbery days. It does not need a lot of imagination to see that in spite of his carefully laid plans, he was going to get caught.

Netflix has picked a winner with this one. How to Rob a Bank is a fascinating look at one of the most prolific bank robbers in the Seattle area. Check it out.

The Trailer