Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

*Exit Through the Gift Shop* uses the incredible true story of an eccentric French shopkeeper, Thierry Guetta, who attempts to make a documentary about the world's most elusive street artists. Banksy is a graffiti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post-hurricane New Orleans to the separation barrier on the Palestinian West Bank. Fiercely guarding his anonymity to avoid prosecution, Banksy has so far resisted all attempts to be captured on film. Guetta's obsessive quest leads him into the inner circle of this underground movement, culminating in a meeting with Banksy himself, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner in a shocking and hilarious twist. While not a traditional heist or gangster film, *Exit Through the Gift Shop* earns its place among the best crime movies by functioning as a captivating documentary about the criminal act of graffiti itself. The entire narrative is built around the commission of illegal acts—vandalism and trespassing—on a global scale, meticulously documenting the planning and execution required to pull off these "artistic heists." The core tension surrounding Banksy's identity is rooted in the very real threat of prosecution, making the entire subculture one defined by its illegality. The film’s masterstroke, however, is its exploration of a different kind of crime: the potential con artistry within the modern art world, leaving the audience to question if the greatest hustle was committed not on city walls, but in a fine art gallery.