The DVD presentation of ‘Set It Off’ introduces a group of four longtime friends who, despite their struggles, are united by a strong sense of sisterhood and distrust of the system because of their current circumstances. The movie begins with Frankie, a bank teller, who witnesses a violent bank robbery during which a coworker is killed. While at gunpoint, she fails to follow the usual procedures, leading to suspicion from both the police and her employers. This suspicion resulted in her firing. They suspected that she was working with the robbers because she grew up in the same neighborhood as one of them. Her name is Darnell, and she recognized her during the robbery. She leaves and meets with her friends Stony, TT, and Cleo. The group of friends, united by their hardships, share a deep distrust of the system. Frankie then throws the idea of robbing a bank to escape poverty. Frankie also mentioned that without a letter of recommendation, she finds it challenging to secure another job like her position at the bank. Each character’s motivation is deeply rooted in their struggles and the societal structures that have failed them.

Stony, who’s low on money, is pushed to a desperate act. She agrees to sleep with a sleazy businessperson for money to help her brother Stevie, who was trying to college UCLA but couldn’t go because he didn’t receive a scholarship. Later, Stevie was killed by the police due to being mistaken as one of the robbers after receiving a haircut. This tragedy becomes the main driving force for Stony wanting to participate in the heist that Frankies suggests.

The group of friends are now all working as janitors for money. Driven by desperation, TT brings her son to her job, where he gets into chemicals. This incident leads to them calling 911 and Child Protective Services taking her child. She was then told by one of the CPS individuals that have her kid that she needs to prove she can provide an adequate home and childcare to get her kid back, but since she’s a struggling single mother who can’t afford that, she agrees to join in on the heist plan. Unlike the others, Cleo is motivated by financial gain, the thrill of the heists, and personal desires, such as upgrading the car she has been working on since childhood and spoiling her girlfriend. She also robs banks to help her friends solve their financial problems. These personal motivations are crucial in understanding the characters’ decisions to participate in the heist. Cleo’s desire for monetary gain, personal fulfillment, and loyalty to her friends drives her to join the heist. Similarly, TT’s desperation to regain custody of her child and her guilt over the incident at her workplace lead her to join the heist. These personal motivations are crucial in understanding the characters’ decisions to participate in the heist.

In the first heist, the women disguise themselves and obtain weapons from a connection to Cleo. Cleo also steals a getaway car to help them escape. All but one of the groups of friends goes through with it. TT can’t do it because of guilt. After their first heist, the bonds in the friend group get a little tense as they deal with the fear and shame of the crime. This is shown by how the group worries about Cleo’s recklessness in buying stuff for her car and the girl with whom she’s in a relationship. The group plans another robbery, increasing the stakes and danger. The heists put the characters in physical danger and strain their relationships. The tension between the characters, particularly Cleo’s recklessness and Stony’s leadership, becomes more pronounced as they plan and execute the heists. This strain on their relationships adds another layer of complexity to the characters’ motivations and actions, as it shows that their decisions not only affect their own lives, but also the lives of those they care about.

The four women came more prepared and determined for the second heist, believing they could do it after their experience with the first heist. They plan their approach, disguises, and escape routes. As they enter the bank, they quickly take control by making Cleo and Frankie manage the crowd, and TT handles the vault. Stony, the operation’s leader, ensures everyone sticks to the plan they discussed. At the same time, they work against the clock, knowing that any mistake could lead to their imprisonment or death. However, when a bank employee triggered the silent alarm, things turned to the left. This silent alarm alerted the police, making the four women secure the money and escape as the police arrived. Cleo used her fearless and aggressive nature to take the lead in their getaway by driving recklessly through the streets to evade the pursuing officers. Despite the close calls and high-speed chases, they manage to escape with the money, but the heist leaves them shaken and more aware of the dangers involving bank robberies. This heist marks a turning point in their journey and highlights the increasing risks and tolls it takes on their lives, relationships, and the surrounding people affected by their actions.

As time progresses, the cops begin to piece together the women’s identities behind the heists. During this period, Stony develops feelings for a bank manager. The risk intensifies as the group prepares for their third and final robbery. The four women planned to rob a significant downtown bank because they were desperate and needed to secure their futures. They enter the bank, usually disguised, taking control of the crowd while TT and Frankie handle the vault. However, things go left again when a bank employee triggers the silent alarm, which alerts the police. This causes the robbery to go tragically wrong: The police arrive, and TT is shot multiple times, causing Cleo to open fire on the police until they escape. TT dies after they escape the bank in their getaway car, in which they leave her dead body behind; Cleo perishes after ramming her upgraded vehicle into a group of police cars and then getting out to shoot at them, resulting in her being hit numerous times as well. Frankie is killed while trying to escape after asking Detective Strode, who was interrogating her, about the protocol when a gun is pointed at you—the same question he had posed to her earlier. These tragic outcomes underscore the high stakes and the characters’ vulnerability, leaving a profound sense of loss and tragedy in the audience. The characters’ deaths in the final heist are a stark reminder of the consequences of their actions, highlighting the high stakes and the characters’ vulnerability.

Stony, the only survivor, witnesses these events unfold inside a bus. Once the bus departs, she goes into hiding to avoid capture. However, at the film’s conclusion, she reaches out to Keith Weston, the man she is interested in.

Photo Reference

Hoffman, J. (2022, March 10). Best Women Heist Movies, Ranked. MovieWeb. https://movieweb.com/best-women-heist-movies/