Coin Heist (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Coin Heist takes place primarily at Dennington Prep, a prestigious high school where the four main students attend. The story also unfolds at the Philadelphia Mint, which the students visit on a class trip and later infiltrate to execute their heist. The contrast between the school environment and the federal mint creates the backdrop for their audacious plan.

• dennington prep
• philadelphia mint
• setting
• high school

The Philadelphia Mint serves as both the inspiration and target for the students' plan. During a class trip, the students observe the mint's operations, which gives Alice the idea to create altered coins. Later, they infiltrate the mint to execute their scheme to raise money for the school endowment, making it the central location of the heist itself.

• philadelphia mint
• heist location
• class trip
• coin minting

Coin Heist is set in the contemporary late 2010s, featuring modern technology, smartphones, and current security systems. The story follows present-day high school life, with the class trip to the mint and a formal school event serving as key plot elements that drive the heist timeline.

• contemporary
• 2010s
• modern setting
• present day

Coin Heist explores three major themes: ethics, teamwork, and deception with consequences. The film tests whether the students' moral compass can justify stealing to save their school, showing how teamwork combines their different skills while deception leads to exposure and accountability. The characters ultimately confront whether their ends justified their means.

• ethics
• teamwork
• deception
• consequences
• themes

Coin Heist examines whether breaking the law can be justified for a good cause. The students steal from the U.S. Mint to save their school's endowment, using hacking, deception, and counterfeit coins. The film shows them wrestling with whether ends justify the means, ultimately attempting to return the coins to secure immunity and avoid legal consequences.

• ethics
• moral dilemma
• stealing
• right wrong
• consequences

The four protagonists bring distinct skills that make the heist possible: Alice's hacking expertise, Jason's organizational leadership as the headmaster's son, Dakota's logistical precision, and Benny's mechanical know-how from working in his uncle's garage. Their collaboration is essential, though trust issues and internal conflicts test their relationships throughout the plan.

• teamwork
• collaboration
• alice
• jason
• dakota
• benny
• skills

Alice Drake is the skilled hacker who initiates the heist plan by proposing the altered coin scheme. Her technical expertise allows her to hack into the mint's security systems, making the operation possible. Throughout the film, she experiences conflicts with the group that test their loyalties, but her commitment remains crucial to executing the plan.

• alice drake
• hacker
• alexis g zall
• tech skills
• plan initiator

Jason Hodges is the son of the school headmaster and serves as the central organizer of the heist. Accused of mishandling school funds, he sees the plan as a way to protect the school's endowment and prove his loyalty. He coordinates the team while navigating pressure from school authorities, with his leadership tested by ethical dilemmas and personal risk.

• jason hodges
• alex saxson
• headmaster son
• leader
• organizer

Dakota Cunningham is Jason's organized ex-girlfriend who manages the heist's logistics with meticulous efficiency. She orchestrates the team's entry into the Mint and keeps the operation on track through her methodical approach. By the film's end, she develops a tentative romantic connection with Benny, suggesting growth in her personal life alongside her criminal endeavors.

• dakota cunningham
• sasha pieterse
• organizer
• logistics
• ex girlfriend

Benny is a football scholarship student who contributes practical mechanical skills to the heist, learned from working in his uncle's garage. His hands-on expertise translates the team's theoretical plan into a tangible mechanism for executing the operation. He remains loyal to the group and becomes the focus of a developing relationship with Dakota by the end of the movie.

• benny
• jay walker
• mechanic
• football scholarship
• garage
• practical skills

Coin Heist is a crime family movie targeted at teenage audiences. It combines heist and caper elements with coming-of-age storytelling, featuring a light tone despite its criminal subject matter. The film balances suspenseful heist sequences with teen drama, ultimately delivering a happy ending where the students achieve their goal without lasting consequences.

• crime
• family
• teen
• heist
• genre
• coming of age