Inspired by the Northern Bank robbery in 2004, once the largest cash heist in British and Irish history, No Ordinary Heist might sound like a typical heist genre film, but as director Colin McIvor (Zoo) explains, what first drew him in wasn’t the spectacle, but something far stranger. He coincidentally walked past the cordoned-off bank building the morning after the crime took place.
While many of the real-life events were “locked in,” Colin was keen to use creative licence when and where it mattered, particularly in helping to build the film’s overall atmosphere and characters. He uses the example of the real-life vault that they would have been in, which was actually “an incredibly boring four-wall room”. In the film, it became something far more claustrophobic and cinematic after being discovered in an old Dublin location by his team. “It felt almost like a horror film,” he says, pointing to the low ceilings, heavy doors and oppressive space. It was choices like this that helped the film lean away from traditional heist expectations. “We weren’t making a documentary,” he notes, because the focus instead centres on two ordinary men (the fantastic Eddie Marsan and Éanna Hardwicke) forced into an impossible situation. “They’re not macho men… they’re just two humans fighting for their lives and their families’ lives.”
McIvor also discussed how casting played a crucial role in achieving that balance, describing the process as a mix of instinct, timing, and sheer luck, particularly given the realities of filmmaking schedules. Early conversations helped solidify his choices, including a simple walk-and-talk meeting in Dublin with Hardwicke, which essentially confirmed him as one of his leads almost immediately. “They were absolutely fantastic,” he says of the central duo, praising not just their performances but their off-screen dynamic, which saw them quickly form a genuine friendship. That sense of trust extended across the production, something he clearly values given the scale of the challenge.
“It’s like gathering cats in a storm,” he says of pulling together finance, cast and crew, a familiar struggle for indie filmmakers. He was also incredibly keen to credit the hard work of Ruth Carter, Damon Lane, Johanna Hogan and co-writer Aisling Corristine in our chat, which showed how much he really valued and trusted his team. Within the chat, he also touched on the importance of casting actors he sees as “movie validators”, performers like Marsan (and previously Toby Jones) who immediately bring a level of credibility and weight to a project. “If you’ve got them in your movie,” he suggests, “you know you’re going to get something solid.” It’s a simple idea, but one that speaks to the careful balance required to be successful in independent filmmaking, where every casting decision carries important significance.
Ultimately, Colin is realistic about what success looks like for No Ordinary Heist. For many independent films, just reaching an audience can feel like a victory, but his ambitions are a little more than that. “You just hope people say, ‘this is worth a watch,” he says, pointing to the power of word of mouth. For him, success isn’t just about opening weekends or initial buzz, but whether the film sticks. He points to his previous work continuing to find audiences years later, and hopes this film might do the same, the kind of film people casually recommend down the line with a “have you ever seen…?”. It’s a simple ambition, but one that helps the film quietly carve out its own place within the genre.
No Ordinary Heist hits cinemas across Ireland and the UK on March 27th.
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