Based on a true story, Roofman stars Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester, a former military man turned criminal who has a knack for recognizing patterns and seeing how things work. 

He uses these skills to determine the perfect plan for robbing any McDonald’s franchise. He simply cuts a hole in the roof to break in, politely ambushes the staff with a weapon when they arrive to open the store, grabs the cash, and temporarily locks the employees in the refrigerator while he escapes.

His victims all note his polite demeanor and his concern for their well-being, often making sure they have coats so they’re not too cold during their brief imprisonment in the refrigerator before the police arrive.

But regardless of a chipper demeanor, armed robbery is still armed robbery, and soon Jeff is caught and sent to prison with additional time for kidnapping, due to the refrigerator stunts. 

During his time there, he plots his escape, eventually making his way out of the prison and camping out in a hidden area behind the bike display at Toys ‘R‘ Us, where he plans to live until the heat dies down.

Soon, he starts to venture out and interact with people, including recently divorced mom Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), who works at the store and has no idea he’s been squatting there. 

Leigh and the members of her church, led by Pastor Ron (Ben Mendelsohn) and his wife Eileen (Uzo Aduba), are immediately charmed by Jeff and welcome him into their community. 

Through his interactions with Leigh, he starts to create his new life as John, an undercover government agent, and forms a family with her and her two daughters.

But all good things must come to an end, and he knows consequences will eventually catch up with him, so he must choose between his blossoming new life and fleeing with the forged documents provided by his former sergeant, Steve (LaKeith Stanfield), and his girlfriend, Michelle (Juno Temple). 

Tatum is an ideal pick for this role because he is so effortlessly likable that he immediately makes the audience root for Jeff. He’s a criminal, sure, but his golden retriever energy and natural charm would make even the most logical person hesitate to question any gaps in his cover story. Tatum’s acting skills have grown by leaps and bounds over his career, and Roofman gives him a fabulous opportunity to showcase how much emotion he can bring to a close-up or how skilled he can be with making dialogue feel real and natural.

Similarly, Dunst makes Leigh feel very realistic and instantly relatable, a divorcee doing her best to rebuild her life and raise her daughters. She’s thoughtful and caring, even when dealing with her smug boss, Mitch (Peter Dinklage). When her relationship with Jeff starts to blossom, we want everything to work out well for both of them.

These two central performances are the greatest strength of Roofman, and they elevate a story that could easily feel routine or generic. Dunst makes us see what would appeal to Jeff about a regular life filled with church outings, arguments with a teenager, unfavorable work schedules, and early morning walks in the park. Tatum makes us understand why a man with an extensive criminal history would live off peanut M&Ms and bathe in a Toys ‘R’ Us sink in hopes that he might someday be able to see his children again. They make us care about these people and what happens to them.

There are no weak links in the entire cast, although some actors may feel slightly underutilized. Dinklage is there to be an obstacle for Leigh, and while he’s great at playing the type of irritating boss we all can’t stand, his character doesn’t get much screentime. Mendelsohn, Aduba, Temple, and Stanfield can also feel like blink-and-you-miss-them roles. 

We do get some rather interesting cameos from the actual people involved in the real-life case. The arresting officer makes an appearance in a scene at a church-sponsored singles lunch, the truck driver who was inadvertently involved in Jeff’s escape plays himself, the pastor plays a pawn shop owner, and even the real Leigh briefly appears as a crossing guard. 

These appearances add a fun layer of authenticity to a story that could have easily skewed into exaggerated Hollywood hijinks. Instead, Roofman gives us a grounded version of a small-scale heist movie that feels reminiscent of another Tatum fave, Logan Lucky, but with more heart.