Roofman (2025)
Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
Premise: Based on true events. A criminal serving time for robbery (Channing Tatum) escapes prison and hides in a Toys ‘R Us. He begins a relationship with one of the employees (Kirsten Dunst) and contemplates his life.
What Works: Roofman is primarily a love story. An escaped convict lying low gets into a romantic relationship under false pretenses. Roofman succeeds in large part because of the likable relationship between the leads played by Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst. The two of them make an appealing couple. Tatum’s character is a father who turned to crime to provide for his family and eventually lost everything. Dunst’s character is a single mother. Their backstories fit together in a way that gives the relationship additional dramatic weight. The satisfaction of seeing these people together is offset by our knowledge that this relationship isn’t going to work and as these two become more invested in each other’s lives that understanding weighs on the viewer. Roofman has a lot of humor and a mischievous sensibility. Tatum’s character is smart and has a knack for figuring out systems and patterns. The sequences in which he escapes from prison and makes subsists inside a Toys ‘R Us are very satisfying. These scenes are well directed, using visuals to communicate the ideas without unnecessary exposition. The film deals with the isolation of Tatum’s character pretty well. In escaping prison he’s been forced to hide and the toy store itself becomes a prison. The ending is especially effective. The filmmakers don’t go big or maudlin and the simplicity of the heartbreak feels real.
What Doesn’t: Channing Tatum is a likable and charming screen presence and he’s generally used well in Roofman but the film removes any rough edges from the character. He’s been convicted of armed robbery, commits an assortment of related crimes during his time on the lam, and lies to everyone but these choices are papered over. He’s never angry and always plays the mediator. For that matter, a lot of Roofman comes across conflict adverse. Whenever there is tension between the characters it gets resolved immediately. The filmmakers are unwilling to make Tatum’s character at all unlikable. As a result, the characterization and the drama are simplistic and flattened. The film is also very predicable. This is a classic white lie scenario and eventually the truth catches up. We can see where this is going from the moment he meets Dunst’s character.
Bottom Line: Roofman plays as a safe and mainstream romantic drama. It’s very likable and uses its actors well. This film contains the raw material for a more challenging and complex portrait but the filmmakers opt for mass appeal in a way that simplifies the drama.
Episode: #1072 (November 2, 2025)