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The Thief Collector

Play trailer Poster for The Thief Collector 2023 1h 33m Documentary Crime Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 39 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
It was one of the most audacious and puzzling art thefts of a generation; In 1985, Willem de Kooning's seminal work, "Woman Ochre," was sliced from it's frame and stolen from the walls of an Arizona art museum, disappearing into the desert. Over thirty years later, in a remote town in New Mexico, the $160 million dollar painting was rediscovered in the unlikeliest of places.
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The Thief Collector

The Thief Collector

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Critics Consensus

An effortlessly engaging true-crime documentary, The Thief Collector reaffirms that reality can be stranger than fiction -- and sometimes just as entertaining.

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Critics Reviews

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Noel Murray Los Angeles Times 05/18/2023
Allison Otto’s snappy documentary “The Thief Collector” ponders how and why the Alters got away with their one famous crime — and perhaps many more. Go to Full Review Cath Clarke Guardian 03/29/2023
3/5
If nothing else, this documentary ought to give someone working in television the idea of making a detective series about house clearance experts. Go to Full Review Owen Gleiberman Variety 04/04/2022
A movie that has used art to touch something essential about how strangers — or maybe I should just say the downright strange — walk among us. Go to Full Review Nagier Chambers Big Gold Belt Media May 12
As a fan of the ID channel and investigative documentaries, this film checked all the boxes for me. Go to Full Review Rachel Ho POV Magazine May 8
The Thief Collector engages those who are looking to have some fun by playing detective and drawing tenuous conclusions about the Alters, but if you’re looking for something beyond that, this film will have just stolen 90 minutes of your life. Go to Full Review Mike Vaughn Geek Vibes Nation May 8
6/10
The Thief Collector tells a really remarkable story with depth and intelligence. Though, tonally things are messy, and the murder-subplot feels strangely placed and tacky-as-hell. It spoils what is otherwise an engaging film. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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PJ J @RT57575284 12/22/2024 Unless you lived in Tucson and were paying attention to local news in 2017, or lived in Silver City, NM then, you almost certainly will have no clue about this amazing story. Truth truly stranger than fiction, a documentary that engages as a docu-drama. See more Adam G @agelva 05/31/2023 An extraordinary, stranger-than-fiction story that must be seen to be believed. I loved this movie. See more Read all reviews
The Thief Collector

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Cast & Crew

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Allison Otto

Director

Glenn Howerton

Jerry Alter

Sarah Minnich

Rita Alter

Scott Takeda

Actor

Matt Pittenger

Actor

Mark Monroe

Screenwriter

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The Thief Collector

The Thief Collector (2022) The Thief Collector (2022) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis It was one of the most audacious and puzzling art thefts of a generation; In 1985, Willem de Kooning's seminal work, "Woman Ochre," was sliced from it's frame and stolen from the walls of an Arizona art museum, disappearing into the desert. Over thirty years later, in a remote town in New Mexico, the $160 million dollar painting was rediscovered in the unlikeliest of places.
Director
Allison Otto
Producer
Caryn Capotosto, Jill Latiano, Joshua A. Kunau
Screenwriter
Mark Monroe, Nick Andert
Distributor
FilmRise
Production Co
Roots Productions, Diamond Docs, Museum & Crane, XTR
Genre
Documentary, Crime
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 19, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 19, 2023
Runtime
1h 33m
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