Walter Matthau is best known for his comedies such as The Odd Couple and The Sunshine Boys, but here he's in more serious mode as a small-time crook who lands himself in hot water when he mistakenly steals a small fortune belonging to the Mafia. Hitman Joe Don Baker is soon on his trail, but the cunning Matthau has a few tricks up his sleeve. Don Siegel directs the clever, exciting script with verve, and also contributes a brief cameo as a table-tennis player. Unlike other crime thrillers of the period, this still seems fresh and invigorating.

Charley Varrick robs a bank in a small town with his friends, but instead of obtaining a small amount of money, they discover they stole a very large amount of money belonging to the mob. Charley must now come up with a plan to not only evade the police but the mob as well.