This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist is a 2021 American documentary miniseries about the 1990 robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.[1][2][3] The four-part series was directed by Colin Barnicle, who also produced alongside his brother Nick Barnicle. The series was produced over a seven-year period, beginning in 2014.[4] It was released on Netflix on April 7, 2021, receiving generally positive reviews from critics.[5]

This Is a Robbery
Genre
Directed byColin Barnicle
Music byJason Hill
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
  • Colin Barnicle
  • Nick Barnicle
  • Jane Rosenthal
  • Berry Welsh
  • Linda Pizzuti Henry
Producers
  • Jeff Siegel
  • Rachel Koteen
  • Bobby O'Brien
  • Mary Abramson
CinematographyStephen McCarthy
Editors
  • Kelly Kendrick
  • Chris Kronus
  • Matt Cascella
  • Andrew Jenter
Running time50–57 minutes
Production companyBarnicle Brothers Production TriBeCa Productions
Original release
ReleaseApril 7, 2021 (2021-04-07)

Episodes

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No.TitleOriginal release date
1"They Looked Like Cops"April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07)
In Boston 1990, two men dressed as police officers enter the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and leave with Rembrandt's The Storm on the Sea of Galilee and A Lady and Gentleman in Black, Vermeer's The Concert, and ten other works of art.
2"Vipers in the Grass"April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07)
As law enforcement scrutinizes the museum's security, a suspect emerges.
3"We've Seen It"April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07)
As alleged sightings of the stolen art are reported, organized crime activity leads to possible suspects and motives for the robbery.
4"$10 Million Reward"April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07)
An informant and sting operation lead federal agents to a small-time mobster with possible connections to the robbery.

Reception

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For the series, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 81% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "This is a Robbery may not be the world's most innovative docuseries, but a fascinating subject and an acute attention to detail make for a riveting watch."[6] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on 13 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]

References

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  1. ^ "This Is a Robbery: a Netflix series examines the world's biggest art heist". the Guardian. April 7, 2021. Archived from the original on April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  2. ^ Wilkinson, Alissa (April 7, 2021). "The new Netflix docuseries about history's biggest art heist is weirdly dull". Vox. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  3. ^ "'This Is a Robbery' on Netflix revisits the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art theft - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  4. ^ "'This Is a Robbery': Netflix revisits Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist | Boston.com". www.boston.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  5. ^ Vanamee, Norman (April 7, 2021). "What Really Happened with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Art Heist". Town & Country. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  6. ^ "This Is a Robbery: The World's Greatest Art Heist: Season 1 (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  7. ^ "This Is a Robbery: The World's Greatest Art Heist Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
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