To Steal from a Thief
A group of thieves led by a man called El Uruguayo stalk a bank in Valencia to steal as many safety boxes as possible and later flee through a dug tunnel that communicates the building with an abandoned subway station. However, the press officer of the Prime Minister discovers what the thieves are actually after: they want to get their hands on box 314, property of Gonzalo Soriano, a former member of the government who slipped into a coma after a severe accident, left documents with compromising information. The gang's plans start to go awry when the tunnel is flooded by heavy rain, leaving them with no escape, plus to discover that the box really doesn't contains documents, but an external hard drive full of data about important names in all levels of the Spanish politic. At the same time, a fixer of the government receives the mission to assume the control of the negotiations, looking for recover at any cost the box 314 and the information before the robbers flee with it.
Working with a modest budget of $6.7M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $9.1M in global revenue (+35% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
To Steal from a Thief (2016) reveals strategically placed narrative architecture, characteristic of Daniel Calparsoro's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 36 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Valencia bank in ordinary business operations. Customers and employees moving through their routine day, establishing the normal world before chaos erupts.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Armed robbers burst into the bank, taking everyone hostage. The ordinary world shatters as masked men with weapons storm in, transforming the mundane bank into a pressure cooker of tension.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat The robbers discover evidence of massive political and financial corruption in the boxes - far bigger than they anticipated. What seemed like a contained heist now involves powerful people who will do anything to keep their secrets buried. The stakes explode., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 72 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, A hostage is killed or the authorities prepare to storm the bank with lethal force, regardless of civilian casualties. The "whiff of death" - the corrupt powers have decided that eliminating witnesses is preferable to exposure. All seems lost., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 77 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The finale - executing the escape plan while simultaneously exposing the conspiracy. The robbers must outmaneuver both the police and the corrupt officials, release the information to the public, and escape with their lives. Truth and justice collide with survival., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
To Steal from a Thief's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping To Steal from a Thief against these established plot points, we can identify how Daniel Calparsoro utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish To Steal from a Thief within the adventure genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Bad Guys and Zoom.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Valencia bank in ordinary business operations. Customers and employees moving through their routine day, establishing the normal world before chaos erupts.
Theme
A character mentions that "everyone has secrets worth protecting" - establishing the film's exploration of hidden corruption and the moral ambiguity between criminals and institutions.
Worldbuilding
Introduction of the bank setting, the regular customers, hints of the vault containing secrets, and establishment of the security systems. We meet key bank employees and see the routine operations that will soon be disrupted.
Disruption
Armed robbers burst into the bank, taking everyone hostage. The ordinary world shatters as masked men with weapons storm in, transforming the mundane bank into a pressure cooker of tension.
Resistance
Police surround the building, hostage negotiation begins. The robbers make their demands while the true nature of their plan remains unclear. Both sides position themselves, assess the situation, and prepare for the standoff ahead.
Act II
ConfrontationMirror World
Focus shifts to the relationship between the lead robber and one of the hostages, creating a human connection that mirrors the film's theme about the humanity behind criminal actions and the corruption within legitimate institutions.
Premise
The fun and games of the heist - watching the robbers execute their meticulous plan, accessing the deposit boxes, discovering compromising evidence of corruption. The cat-and-mouse game with police escalates while secrets are unveiled.
Midpoint
The robbers discover evidence of massive political and financial corruption in the boxes - far bigger than they anticipated. What seemed like a contained heist now involves powerful people who will do anything to keep their secrets buried. The stakes explode.
Opposition
The corrupt officials realize what the robbers have found and begin to tighten the noose. Police tactics become more aggressive, mysterious forces intervene, and the robbers find themselves fighting not just law enforcement but a conspiracy willing to kill everyone to protect their secrets.
Collapse
A hostage is killed or the authorities prepare to storm the bank with lethal force, regardless of civilian casualties. The "whiff of death" - the corrupt powers have decided that eliminating witnesses is preferable to exposure. All seems lost.
Crisis
The robbers face the darkness of their situation. They're trapped with evidence that powerful people will kill to suppress. The moral weight of endangering hostages crashes down. This is their dark night, processing how bad things have become.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale - executing the escape plan while simultaneously exposing the conspiracy. The robbers must outmaneuver both the police and the corrupt officials, release the information to the public, and escape with their lives. Truth and justice collide with survival.