Stephen King Praised This Forgotten $69.1 Million Box Office Dud — And It Deserves A Second Look

Here is one you probably have not thought about in a while: Stephen King was a big fan of the 2010 heist thriller 'Takers'. Yes, that 'Takers' — the slick, LA-set ensemble caper that came and went while everyone was debating the 'Ocean's' movies, 'Heat', 'Inside Man', and later 'Baby Driver'.

Stephen King put 'Takers' at #5 in his 2010 favorites

Back in 2010, King did a year-end top 10 for Entertainment Weekly, and 'Takers' landed at a surprisingly high #5. He praised the cast — Matt Dillon as the dogged cop, Idris Elba running point on the crew, and, in a nice bit of vindication, Hayden Christensen holding his own — and called out a specific sequence that stuck with him all year.

"This satisfyingly complex cops-'n'-robbers movie features great performances from Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, and — surprising but true — Hayden Christensen. The climax strains credulity, but the characters feel real, and the armored-car heist is the best action sequence I've seen this year."

That is pretty much the take: the ending tilts a little over-the-top, but the people feel grounded and the movie is engineered well enough that one centerpiece robbery absolutely sings. Hence the top-5 placement.

Critics shrugged, audiences barely showed up

Despite King's stamp of approval, the larger response in 2010 was lukewarm. 'Takers' pulled a 28% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and even with a buzzy lineup — Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen — it did not convert that cast into long legs at the box office. Worldwide grosses hit about $69.1 million against a $32 million budget, which is basically break-even territory once you factor in marketing. Translation: not a flop, not a hit, and it faded fast in the conversation.

• Title: Takers (2010)
• Director: John Luessenhop
• Cast: Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen
• Runtime: 1h 47m
• Rotten Tomatoes: 28% (critics)
• Box office: $69.1M worldwide on a $32M budget
• Where to watch: Starz, Prime Video, Tubi

On the same list: King's take on 'Inception'

King did not just single out the underdog. He put Christopher Nolan's 'Inception' at #3 that year, and he was refreshingly honest about not tracking every layer of the dream logic — which did not stop him from having a great time. He was plugged into the big-screen spectacle: the rotating hallway, the folding city, and the emotional throughline.

"Did I fully understand the dream-within-a-dream concept? I did not. Nor did I care. Christopher Nolan's delirious dreamscapes filled me with delight and wonder, and that was enough. TV is often great at what it does, but sometimes only the big screen will do. For long stretches of Inception, I was literally unable to look away."

Short version: one of the most respected storytellers alive was baffled and thrilled at the same time — and that is kind of the ideal 'Inception' reaction.

So where does that leave 'Takers'?

In hindsight, it is an interesting split. Critics were icy, the box office was meh, but a major genre fan with a sharp eye for craft thought 'Takers' had standout pieces worth celebrating — especially that armored-truck set piece. If you missed it, it is an easy homework assignment now: 'Takers' is streaming on Starz, Prime Video, and Tubi. 'Inception' is streaming on HBO Max. If nothing else, you get a time capsule of where Hollywood heists and brain-benders were in 2010 — and a reminder that sometimes the movies that slip through the cracks still have something worth stealing.