James Bondfans take note. Daniel Craig’s superb NASCAR heist filmLogan Luckyis racing toward aNetflixexit on July 06, 2025, leaving less than a week to check it out before it reaches the finish line. Directed by the great Steven Soderbergh from a stellar script by his spouse, Jules Asner,Logan Luckyis one of the twistiest and most intelligent heist movies from a director who knows a thing or two about the genre after makingOcean’s 11-13.
In following a pair of brothers orchestrating a daring NASCAR racetrack robbery,Logan Luckyshowcases a much different side of Daniel Craig’s acting skills than 007 fans are familiar with. Instead of a dashing British spy, Craig plays Joe Bang, a skilled safecracker from the American South who assists the two brothers in the heist.
‘Logan Lucky’ Is an Underrated Heist Film
One ofthe most underrated heist filmsof the last decade,Logan Luckyfollows brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver). Down on his luck after being fired from a construction job beneath the Charlotte Motor Speedway, former football star Jimmy concocts a scheme to rob the stadium during an active NASCAR race.
Jimmy recruits his brother, Clyde, a bartender and Iraq War veteran, and their younger sister, Mellie (Riley Keough), to rob the racetrack. The siblings also enlist Joe Bang (a scene-stealing Craig), a bleach-blonde safecracker and demolition expert with a thick Southern accent. To get Joe’s assistance, the Logans must break him out of jail, execute the heist, and return Joe to prison without anyone noticing, then rush out of town with the loot in tow.
Fans ofCraig’s 007 movieswill get a blast out of seeing how he plays the wildly amusing Joe Bang with region-specific humor and idiosyncratic quirks that Rian Johnson later tapped into and exaggerated inKnives OutandGlass Onion.
‘Logan Lucky’ Continues Steven Soderbergh’s Genre Mastery
Aside from Craig’s spotlight-hogging turn,Logan LuckyshowsSteven Soderbergh at the top of his directorial craft. No stranger to the heist genre, after making the criminally underratedOut of Sightand three movies in theOcean’s Elevenfranchise, Soderbergh marries colorful characters, a rich setting rarely seen, and a criminal plot with peerless expertise, underscoring his evolution as a top-flight filmmaker.
Sidestepping nearly every heist movie cliché and formulaic blueprint,Logan Luckykeeps viewers off balance with its unpredictable plot twists. Heads will swim trying to keep pace with the fast, fun, and unforeseen action, with Soderbergh challenging audiences' notions of heist film conventions.
For instance, heist films by definition are unsentimental. Yet, while far from melodramatic,Logan Luckyreveals itself as an affecting family drama that takes the original heist plot and uses it to strengthen the bonds of the Logan family. Critics recognized this distinction when the film was released in 2017, withLogan Luckyholding a 92% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score and a 78 Metascore.
The marriage of complex plotting with irresistible entertainment from start to finish, coupled with colorful characters and unforgettable performances like Craig’s, results in one ofSoderbergh’s best moviesof his career and solidifies his status as a master of heist movies.
‘Logan Lucky’ Leaves Netflix This August
Logan Luckywas added to Netflix on July 20, 2025. Exactly one year later,on July 24, 2025,Logan Luckywill no longer be available on Netflix. Whether one-year licensing options will become the norm for Netflix as it continues to outsource movies and TV shows, every fan of Daniel Craig’s work as James Bond needs to see how versatileCraig is as an actor inLogan Lucky.
Joe Bang is funny, off-beat, dangerous, impulsive, and unpredictable, qualities that 007 hardly possesses. Knowing how diverse his performance is from his most famous movie character,Logan Lucky’s poster trailer pokes fun by stating: “And introducing Daniel Craig.”
It’s as if the marketing campaign was preparing audiences to be blown away by how different Craig is in the movie. To this end,Soderbergh granted Craig total freedomto create the look and sound of his character, with the caveat that Craig wouldn’t have to promote the film in exchange. Soderbergh also reportedly had to fight the temptation to make Craig do more takes, as he was so amused watching his performance.Craig stayed in character throughout his two-week schedule.
While Craig steals the show more than most,Logan Luckyalso features sublime performances by Hilary Swank, Seth MacFarlane, Sebastian Stan, Katie Holmes, Dwight Yoakam, Katherine Waterston, Jack Quaid, Macon Blair, and several real-life NASCAR drivers that amplify the authenticity.See it before it leavesNetflixon June 20, 2025.
