TV preview: Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema

With his trademark blend of wit, passion and strong opinion, Kermode explores the film-making techniques and storytelling secrets of an eclectic selection of movies – from Hollywood classics to the best of global cinema, from big budget blockbusters to art house gems.

In this second episode, Kermode examines the Heist Movie. At work, you might just be able to hold down a job, but in the movies you can rob a bank, pull a stick-up, or outwit rich corporate bigwigs, all from the safety of your cinema seat.

Plan the robbery. Do the robbery. Then try to get away with the cash… the basic heist movie formula has proved irresistible to screenwriters and directors. No other genre plays so cleverly with our sympathies – and our sense of right and wrong.

And from pioneering French film Rififi to last year’s Baby Driver, via classics such as Reservoir Dogs and the spectacular science fiction epic Inception, Kermode shows how a simple set of conventions has been used to create a thrillingly wide range of films.

Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema,BBC Four, Tuesday, 9pm