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How to Steal 100 Million (2024) movie poster

Characters & Themes

How to Steal 100 Million (2024) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2024 · 95 mins · Polish
Directed by
Michał Węgrzyn
Starring
Bartłomiej Nowosielski, Małgorzata Socha, Antoni Królikowski, Sebastian Konrad, Mateusz Damięcki, Michał Żebrowski

In jail for swindling millions, a charming accountant tries to convince his fiancée that he’s working abroad - while outwitting his vengeful ex-boss.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Characters explained (4)
  2. 2 Where & when it takes place
  3. 3 Themes & meaning (3)
  4. 4 Character & meaning questions
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Categories
  7. 7 Every angle

4 main characters · contains spoilers

How to Steal 100 Million Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of How to Steal 100 Million (2024), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Nicole Bonnet

    Charles Bonnet's disapproving daughter who fears the family’s forged legacy will be exposed. She masterminds the plan to steal the Venus to shield her father, masking motives with charm and resolve. Her arc centers on protecting family reputation while navigating a risky romance with Simon.

    • 🕵️ Secretive
    • 💎 Family secrets
    • 💼 Wealth & privilege
  • Simon Dermott

    A burglar who becomes entwined with Nicole and the heist, presenting a rogue charm and surprising depth. He claims the Venus theft is impossible but joins the plan after falling for Nicole, later revealing a true role as an expert security consultant and investigator for major galleries.

    • 🕵️ Secret identity
    • 💘 Romance
    • 🧭 Dual life
  • Charles Bonnet

    A prominent art collector who forges and sells counterfeit masterpieces. He secretly guards the Venus as a fake within his collection, aware that authentication would expose his entire forgery operation. He is protective of his legacy and wary of investigations that could unravel it.

    • 🎭 Forgery
    • 🖼️ Art world
    • 🏛️ Collector
  • Davis Leland

    An American billionaire art collector obsessed with owning the Venus. He arranges meetings to purchase the statue, representing the commercial and competitive side of the global art market. His pursuit amplifies the story’s stakes and cross-continental tension.

    • 💰 Wealth & power
    • 🌍 Global reach
    • 🤝 Deal-maker

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:40

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Setting

Where and When Does How to Steal 100 Million Take Place?

The setting of How to Steal 100 Million (2024): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Contemporary (early 21st century)

Set in present-day Paris, the film features modern galleries, security systems, and global art market dynamics. The plot unfolds within a contemporary urban landscape where private collectors and museums shape reputations and influence. The timeframe aligns with current forgeries and authentication practices that drive the intrigue.

Location

Paris, France, Kléber-Lafayette Museum, Bonnet Mansion

The story unfolds in a stylish Paris setting, centered around a prestigious museum and an opulent family mansion. The Kléber-Lafayette Museum provides the backdrop for the Venus statue heist, highlighting the city’s high-stakes art culture. The Bonnet family residence contrasts with the museum’s public prestige, illustrating the divide between private wealth and public display.

  • 🏛️ Paris
  • 🖼️ Art world
  • 🏰 Private mansion

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:40

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3 major themes

How to Steal 100 Million Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is How to Steal 100 Million (2024) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Deception

    The plot hinges on forgery, lies, and carefully constructed façades within elite circles. Nicole and Simon orchestrate a heist that blurs motives between protection and theft. The story probes how appearances can mask real intentions and how trust is a currency in the art world.

  • Romance

    A romantic bond forms under pressure, complicating decisions and elevating risk. Nicole and Simon’s growing affection challenges their loyalties and reshapes their plans. The relationship adds emotional stakes to a high-stakes criminal enterprise.

  • Risk & Consequences

    Ambition and desire collide with legal and ethical boundaries as collectors, forgers, and thieves circle the Venus. Authentication tests, insurance policies, and the threat of exposure heighten tension and force choices with far-reaching consequences. The pursuit reveals how a calculated victory can come at a personal and moral cost.

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:40

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Character & theme questions

How to Steal 100 Million Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about How to Steal 100 Million (2024): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

The film takes place in Paris, France, primarily centered around the prestigious Kléber-Lafayette Museum and the opulent Bonnet family mansion. The contrast between the museum's public prestige and the private wealth of the family residence illustrates the divide between public display and hidden secrets that defines the story's world.

  • paris
  • museum
  • art world
  • bonnet mansion
  • setting
Q2

When does the story take place?

The movie is set in present-day Paris during the early 21st century. The contemporary setting features modern galleries, advanced security systems, and reflects current global art market dynamics, including authentic authentication practices and the competitive nature of private collectors.

  • contemporary
  • present day
  • paris
  • art market
  • modern era
Q3

What is the deception theme about?

The movie explores how forgery, lies, and carefully constructed façades operate within elite art circles. Nicole and Simon orchestrate a heist that blurs the line between protection and theft, examining how appearances mask real intentions and how trust functions as a currency in the high-stakes art world.

  • deception
  • forgery
  • art world
  • trust
  • façade
  • lies
Q4

How does romance factor into the story?

A romantic bond develops between Nicole and Simon under pressure, complicating their decisions and elevating the risk of their criminal enterprise. Their growing affection challenges their loyalties and reshapes their plans, adding emotional stakes to a heist that originally centered on protecting the Bonnet family legacy.

  • romance
  • nicole
  • simon
  • relationship
  • love
  • heist
Q5

What does the risk and consequences theme explore?

The theme examines how ambition and desire collide with legal and ethical boundaries as collectors, forgers, and thieves pursue the Venus statue. Authentication tests, insurance pressures, and the constant threat of exposure force characters to make choices with far-reaching personal and moral consequences.

  • risk
  • consequences
  • ambition
  • ethics
  • moral cost
  • art heist
Q6

Who is Nicole Bonnet?

Nicole Bonnet is Charles Bonnet's daughter, who fears that the family's forged art legacy will be exposed to the world. She masterminds the plan to steal the Venus statue to shield her father, using charm and resolve to mask her protective motives while navigating a risky romance with Simon.

  • nicole bonnet
  • daughter
  • family
  • protection
  • forgery
  • heist leader
Q7

Who is Simon Dermott?

Simon Dermott is a burglar who becomes entangled with Nicole and the Venus heist. Despite claiming the theft is impossible, he joins the plan after falling for Nicole. The story reveals he is actually an expert security consultant and investigator for major galleries, giving him unique insight into the heist's challenges.

  • simon derrott
  • burglar
  • security consultant
  • investigator
  • art galleries
Q8

Who is Charles Bonnet?

Charles Bonnet is a prominent art collector who has built his reputation through forging and selling counterfeit masterpieces. He secretly keeps the Venus statue as a fake within his collection, knowing that any formal authentication would expose his entire forgery operation and ruin his legacy.

  • charles bonnet
  • forger
  • art collector
  • counterfeit
  • forgery
  • legacy
Q9

Who is Davis Leland?

Davis Leland is an American billionaire art collector who becomes obsessed with owning the Venus statue. He arranges meetings to purchase the statue, representing the commercial and competitive side of the global art market. His pursuit amplifies the story's stakes and introduces cross-continental tension to the heist.

  • davis leland
  • billionaire
  • american collector
  • art market
  • venus statue
Q10

What is the Venus statue worth in the story?

The Venus statue serves as the centerpiece of the heist, representing immense financial value and the key to the Bonnet family's survival. Its authentication or exposure threatens to unravel Charles Bonnet's entire forgery operation, making the statue both a prized possession and a dangerous liability.

  • venus statue
  • art heist
  • forgery
  • authentication
  • value
  • prize
Q11

What is the tone of the movie?

The film maintains a light, playful tone despite its criminal subject matter. The comedic and romantic core keeps stakes feeling controlled, with character charm and witty execution undercutting any grim potential from the heist planning. The tone stays accessible and entertaining rather than tense or dark.

  • tone
  • comedy
  • romance
  • crime
  • lighthearted
  • playful

Movie threads

More Movies Like How to Steal 100 Million, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes How to Steal 100 Million tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies with clever heists and romantic deceptions like How to Steal 100 Million

Clever criminals pull off a high-stakes heist while navigating a fragile web of lies. If you liked the blend of a sophisticated heist and romantic intrigue in How to Steal 100 Million, you'll enjoy these films. This list features movies where charming con artists execute clever plans while outwitting their marks and falling in love, creating a fun and suspenseful watch.

  • clever
  • charming
  • suspenseful
  • romantic
  • playful
  • sophisticated
  • Tone: light, playful, romantic
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories typically follow charismatic protagonists as they devise and execute a complex scam or heist. The central tension often comes from maintaining their cover, especially in a new romantic relationship that is built on deception. The plots unfold methodically, balancing the thrill of the con with the emotional stakes of the romance, leading to a triumphant resolution where the lovers succeed together.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared focus on witty, high-society crime, the delicate balance between love and lies, and a tone that is more playful than grim. They deliver a specific mix of intellectual satisfaction from the clever plot and emotional payoff from the central relationship.

Witty comedies of errors and deception similar to How to Steal 100 Million

A web of lies and mistaken identities creates humorous and suspenseful situations for clever characters. Fans of the clever lies and humorous suspense in How to Steal 100 Million will appreciate these movies. This collection focuses on films where characters juggle multiple identities and deceptions, leading to a sophisticated and playful comedy full of close calls and witty dialogue.

  • witty
  • playful
  • suspenseful
  • clever
  • sophisticated
  • charming
  • Tone: light, witty, suspenseful
  • Pacing: steady, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a protagonist living a double life, where their invented persona is constantly threatened by exposure. The plot is driven by the need to sustain the deception against increasingly skeptical or vengeful adversaries. The story unfolds at a steady pace, building suspense through a series of escalating complications that are resolved through the protagonist's quick thinking and charm.

Why they belong together: This thread unites movies based on their shared DNA of mistaken identity, sophisticated humor, and a suspense that stems from the risk of a lie unraveling. The experience is defined by intellectual cleverness, playful tension, and a generally lighthearted atmosphere despite the high stakes of exposure.

Categories

Movie Lists Featuring How to Steal 100 Million

How to Steal 100 Million appears in these hand-built movie categories. Each one groups movies by a specific mood, theme or story type, with their plot summaries and endings explained.

View all movie categories

Every angle

How to Steal 100 Million (2024) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about How to Steal 100 Million in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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