Watch This Is a Robbery: The World

This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist is a thrilling docuseries on Netflix that dives deep into the infamous 1990 robbery at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The series is directed by Colin Barnicle and produced by Nick Barnicle, and it features interviews with key players in the case, including museum employees, law enforcement officials, and art experts.

At the center of the series is the heist itself, which took place on March 18, 1990. Two men, dressed as police officers, rang the buzzer at the museum's side entrance and claimed they were responding to a disturbance. Once they were inside, they overpowered the security guards and proceeded to steal 13 priceless art pieces, including works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Degas. The robbers made off with art worth an estimated $500 million, making it the largest art theft in history.

This Is a Robbery takes the viewer on a journey through the investigation into the theft, which has been ongoing for over three decades with no resolution in sight. The series explores the many theories and rumors that have swirled around the case over the years, ranging from organized crime to IRA involvement to a plot by the Boston Mafia. It also delves into the numerous dead ends and false leads that have frustrated investigators and kept the case in the public eye for so long.

But perhaps most compellingly, the series focuses on the human element of the story. Viewers are introduced to the people whose lives were forever changed by the heist, from the museum employees who were held at gunpoint during the robbery to the law enforcement officials who have spent years trying to solve the case. One of the most fascinating figures is Anne Hawley, the director of the Gardner Museum at the time of the robbery, who is interviewed extensively throughout the series. Hawley's devotion to the museum and its collection is palpable, and her emotional reactions to the loss of the artworks are incredibly moving.

Another key figure in the series is reporter Shelley Murphy, who covered the case for the Boston Globe and who has been following it ever since. Murphy's insight into the investigation is invaluable, and her interviews with key players provide some of the most gripping moments in the series.

Throughout the series, the viewer is treated to stunning footage of the stolen art pieces, along with historical context about their creation and significance. And while the heist itself remains shrouded in mystery, This Is a Robbery does an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of the cultural and historical importance of the stolen artworks.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the series is the way it explores the intersection of culture, crime, and ne'er-do-wells. It's clear that the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist was not just a crime, but a cultural event that captured the public's imagination and became the stuff of legend. And as the series makes abundantly clear, the people who stole these artworks were not mere thieves, but sophisticated con artists with ties to the criminal underworld.

Ultimately, This Is a Robbery is a gripping, expertly crafted docuseries that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The series does an excellent job of balancing the personal and the historical, the emotional and the factual, to craft a compelling narrative that is both informative and highly entertaining. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in true crime, art, or historical mysteries.

This Is a Robbery: The World is a series that ran for 1 seasons (4 episodes) between April 7, 2021 and on Netflix