Ocean's 8: A Fun, Escapist, Star-Studded Film

by Kevin Faber

If you enjoy heist movies and liked Steven Soderbergh's Oceans trilogy, you may enjoy the spinoff movie Ocean's 8. Released in 2018, it opened exactly 11 years after the opening of Ocean's Thirteen.

A Star-Studded Cast

The movie features a female team of partners-in-crime who plan a major heist at the Met Gala. The cast includes Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Awkwafina and Helena Bonham Carter. Bullock stars as Debbie Ocean, the younger sister of the late Danny Ocean. Rihanna plays Nine Ball, a talented hacker who can even defy code signing.

Many celebrities make cameo appearances in Ocean's 8, including Heidi Klum, Kendall Jenner, Katie Holmes, Alexander Wang and Zach Posen.

A Diamond Heist

Debbie plans to steal a $150 million Cartier necklace called the Toussaint during the Met Gala. The team manufacturers a cubic-zirconia replica of the necklace. One team member gets a job at Vogue to gain access to the gala, while Debbie's former crime partner, Lou, works as a nutritionist for the party.

Debbie convinces an unwitting movie star, Daphne Kluger, to bring an art dealer, Claude Becker, as her date. Claude had betrayed Debbie in the past and sent her to prison.

The team learns that the Toussaint can only be unclasped with a special magnet that someone from Cartier's security detail carries. The group manages to create a duplicate. When Lou spikes Daphne's soup, she becomes sick and runs to the bathroom. The Cartier security guard waits outside. Team member Constance removes the necklace from Daphne, and the team divides it into smaller pieces. Debbie plants part of the necklace on Claude Becker.

When Daphne emerges without the necklace, the museum is locked down, and the guests are searched. Team member Tammy pretends to find the jewelry, pulling out the replica. Meanwhile, Daphne reveals that she knew about the burglary and wants in on the profit.

Experts discover the necklace switch when it is returned to Cartier. An insurance agent, John Frazier, begins an investigation. He is familiar with the Ocean family's tricks and immediately suspects Debbie. However, Debbie has already worked up an airtight alibi: Nine Ball had created blind spots on the security cameras.

Debbie says she thinks Becker stole the necklace. She visits Becker and takes a picture of the piece she planted on him. Debbie also hires actresses to play along as socialites who sell off the necklace pieces and deposit the money in an account under Becker's name. Becker is arrested.

When the team gets together to celebrate their success, Lou reveals that the actual heist was an art display of royal jewelry. The team had left the Gala with gems worth even more than the necklace. After sharing the spoils, the team goes their separate ways.

Critical Acclaim

Overall, the critics approve of Ocean's 8. The movie earned a 68% rating on the review website Rotten Tomatoes. Some critics say it wasn't as smooth as the other Ocean's movies, but it still had enough flair and character development to make it fun to watch.

It is a slick, high-adventure movie that isn't meant to go deep — it's a light, summertime flick that lets the viewer escape reality and spend some time basking in the rich energy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is also a star-studded comedy that critics say keeps the action rolling.

Some critics praise the all-female cast as a refreshing counterpart to the routine male-criminal genre.

Tidbits

Interestingly, Matt Damon and Carl Reiner reprised their characters in the Ocean's trilogy for this movie, but their scenes were cut and did not appear in the final production.

Also noteworthy, Debbie Ocean speaks German in the movie. Sandra Bullock is fluent in German, having spent most of her childhood in Germany.

A Lighthearted Film

Unfortunately, too much stress can lead to conditions such as dysautonomia. Everyone can use a break sometimes. If you enjoy light, escapist films that don't require heavy emotions, you may enjoy watching Ocean's 8.