Michael Mann’s 1995 crime movie Heat has arrived on Netflix, and now is the perfect, if bittersweet, time to revisit the film. Mann’s career is full of great movies, but Heat is arguably his best and most enduring. While it missed out on the biggest awards at the time of its release, it remains one of the most influential crime films ever and has been an inspiration for numerous other directors. Heat also benefits from a stellar cast led by Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, who play a perfect game of cat and mouse.

De Niro and Pacino’s performances as the thief Neil McCauley and the police officer Vincent Hanna are some of their best work together. Val Kilmer, who sadly died on April 1, 2025, also gave an intense and unforgettable performance. The film largely follows Hanna’s attempts to catch McCauley and his crew after a robbery while also examining how their jobs and lifestyles have left them often unable to relate to those around them. All around, the movie’s tension and gripping plot make it an essential watch for any crime thriller fans.

Why Heat Is Still One Of The Best Crime Thrillers Ever Made, 30 Years Later

Heat Benefits From Great Performances And A тιԍнтly Wound Story

Since its release 30 years ago, Heat has remained incredibly successful and influential. It brings together two great performers who are clearly at the top of their games in a movie that is very intense and thorough. Hanna tracks McCauley across the landscape of LA, each growing attached to his rival’s dedication. Every minute of the film feels essential, there is no sH๏τ wasted and no emotional moment that does not help the audience gain a deeper insight into the incredibly complex main characters.

While some action and crime movies can forgo some character development in favor of adding exciting chase and shoot-out sequences, Heat is not one of those movies. Instead, Mann found a way to include both the very emotional moments that give audiences a sense of why Hanna and McCauley are who they are and the action of Heat‘s surprisingly accurate shoot-out. By Heat‘s ending, audiences are aware that none of the characters are either fully good or fully bad, as the entertaining plot gives them much more nuance.

What’s Going On With Heat 2?

Mann Has Given A Recent Update

The final moments of Heat see Hanna finally triumph over McCauley, making the story very self-contained. However, Heat‘s success means that there has always been potential interest in returning to the characters. Although there have been plans in the works since 2022 for Mann to adapt his prequel novel into a film, there was a much more concrete and exciting update recently. At the end of March, Michael Mann confirmed that he had submitted the first draft of Heat 2‘s screenplay.

Like the novel, Heat 2 will reportedly serve as both a prequel and a sequel to the original film. Mann’s update confirms that the project is coming along, but as this is just the first draft, it will likely be some time before the film hits audiences’ screens. The Heat 2 book that the film will be adapted from received positive reviews at the time of its release, so it seems safe to say that the upcoming movie will be a worthwhile follow-up to Heat.