A former thief, Will Montgomery, portrayed by Nicolas Cage, finds himself released from prison after serving an eight-year sentence for a bank robbery that netted a whopping $10 million. Eager to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Alison, whom he hasn’t seen in years, his plans take a dark turn when an old accomplice, Vincent, played by Josh Lucas, resurfaces—believed to be dead. In a shocking twist, Vincent kidnaps Alison, locking her in the trunk of a taxi and demanding the ransom of the stolen money that Will no longer possesses.
Will is driven to desperate measures as he attempts to secure Alison’s safety while simultaneously outsmarting the detective, Tim Harleno, portrayed by Danny Huston, who was responsible for his initial imprisonment. The elaborate heist of the past had been under FBI surveillance even before Will approached the bank with his team, which included partners Riley, played by Malin Akerman, and Hoyt, the electronics expert. In a chaotic turn of events during a bank escape, Vincent accidentally shoots himself while arguing with Will. Will, caught between rescuing Vincent and securing the stolen money, finds himself thwarted when Hoyt makes the decision to flee without him.
After Will hijacks a police vehicle following Vincent's unintended misfortune, Tim swiftly tracks him down, leading to his arrest. However, the FBI fails to recover the stolen cash. Upon his release, Tim seeks Will’s help to reclaim the missing $10 million, but their reunion is overshadowed by the tension with Alison, who is less than thrilled to see her father after so long. Will’s past loyalty does not go unrecognized by Riley, who expresses gratitude for his decision to protect the gang.
The stakes rise dramatically when Vincent contacts Will again, threatening Alison’s life if he doesn’t come up with the money. In a bid to buy time, Will tells Vincent that he has burnt the cash in a desperate effort to avoid further incarceration. Realizing the urgency of the situation, Will requests a mere twelve hours to gather the ransom funds he doesn’t possess.
Fully aware that both the FBI and Tim are in pursuit, Will eludes the agents and seeks Tim's assistance in combating Vincent, though Tim remains skeptical of Vincent's survival—convinced that he died in an incident that left behind a charred corpse. However, it is revealed that Vincent had orchestrated his own death to escape loan sharks.
In a twist of fate, Will hacks into the FBI systems to locate Hoyt, who admits he is working for Vincent, revealing that Alison is held captive in the trunk of his cab. With time running short, Will makes a daring escape from the approaching agents. Meanwhile, Alison bravely manages to liberate herself when Vincent is pulled over for a traffic violation and, amidst the chaos, finds herself drugged when Vincent catches her.
Determined to save her, Will hijacks another cab using GPS technology to track down Vincent’s location, only to discover Vincent has once again outsmarted him. The law enforcement agencies begin to close in as they realize Vincent is indeed alive, and Will concocts an audacious plan to rob a bank once more—this time aiming to secure $100 million in gold bars. Rallying Riley to his cause, they tunnel through the underground sewers to reach below the bank vault, using a blowtorch to breach the concrete and melt the gold.
As alarms sound and authorities converge, Will and Riley make their escape via a pick-up truck, boarding a ferry across the river. However, upon inspection, the FBI finds Riley alone, with no sign of Will or the gold. Their confrontation leads them to an abandoned amusement park where Vincent awaits the money, yet his insatiable greed drives him to threaten Alison’s life even after Will complies.
In a climactic confrontation, Vincent sets his cab ablaze, forcing Will to take action. Engaging in a brutal struggle, Will overcomes Vincent, who suffers grave injuries and ultimately meets his end. Severely wounded yet victorious, Will rescues Alison, bringing her to safety.
As the dust settles, all of the stolen gold is recovered, save for ten pounds which Will cleverly discovers hidden in the back of Riley's truck. Aware of the prying eyes of the authorities, he theatrically pretends to toss it into the water, securing it for himself while the feds and Tim remain oblivious to his clever maneuver.
