How to Steal 2 Million

In the shadow of Paris's art world, Charles Bonnet has built a dangerous empire around forged masterpieces. He keeps this deception hidden from his disapproving daughter Nicole and from the wider world. This opening sets the high-stakes stage for the film's conflicts.

Nicole is haunted by the possibility that their hidden forgeries could be unearthed at any moment. She keeps a wary eye on her father and the operation that sustains their wealth. Her vigilance foreshadows the peril looming over the Bonnet family.

That fateful night, Simon Dermott confronts Nicole while gripping her father's forged Van Gogh. In a moment of nerves, she wields an antiquated gun and threatens him. The gun fires, wounding him slightly, and Nicole chooses not to call the police, shipping him away to his plush hotel with a secret alliance.

Charles agrees to lend the Venus to the Kléber-Lafayette Museum for an exhibition. He knows that showing it could trigger tests that would expose the statue as a fake and threaten his entire operation. He also signs the museum's insurance policy without noticing a forensic clause that could reveal the truth.

Nicole convinces Simon to steal the Venus before the examination can reveal its forgery. Simon is reluctant at first, wary of the scale of the plan. Her plea and the high stakes push him to change his stance and join the scheme.

During planning, Simon reveals his real job: an undercover security consultant hired to bolster galleries’ defenses and sift for fakes. He explains his aim is to safeguard Nicole, her father, and the artwork, not betray them. The revelation reframes the heist as a protective mission rather than a simple theft.

American art mogul Davis Leland meets Nicole and is immediately smitten. He proposes marriage to secure exclusive access to the Venus, turning pursuit of the statue into a personal alliance. Nicole accepts the engagement ring, balancing romance with the bargain that accompanies it.

Nicole and Simon hide in a museum utility closet, waiting for guards’ routines to shift. Simon boomerangs to trigger alarms, testing the system until it falters. The plan gains momentum as security weaknesses surface.

The Venus is stolen and Nicole, disguised as a cleaning woman, conceals it in a bucket. Alarms blare and guards scramble as they stage a clean escape. The operation appears to succeed, leaving the museum in chaos and pursuing forces behind.

Leland pursues the statue with unrelenting energy, but Simon negotiates a deal: the Venus will never be displayed and he will sever contact with the Bonnet family. The terms are designed to secure a private transaction rather than public glory. The arrangement hints at a quiet, morally gray victory for Nicole and Simon.

Simon drops a pivotal truth: the Venus was not a windfall but his first major heist. He reveals he is a seasoned investigator hired by galleries to bolster security. This revelation reframes the entire operation and tightens the bond between him and Nicole.

Simon assures Charles that the statue will be moved out of the country. Charles feels relief but admits a pang of disappointment that there will be no insurance payout. The family agrees to a pragmatic separation from the forgery world for a safer, quieter future.

Charles agrees to retire from the family business allowing Nicole and Simon to pursue a life together. They commit to protecting art and each other in a world built on secrets. The future they envision is quieter, but equally perilous.

A collector who once admired Charles arrives at the Bonnet residence and is greeted by the wily forger, who jokingly calls him a cousin to keep up the lie. Nicole and Simon then drive off toward their uncertain, new future. The ending suggests their partnership will redefine how art and deception coexist.