“Roofman” (2025) is based on a true story so extraordinary that it would feel cynical if it were presented as fiction. It’s the kind of strange scenario that could have called for a by-the-numbers studio comedy, but it also could have produced a standard crime drama that differs only by its premise. What “Roofman” ended up being doesn’t really fall into either category. It’s too emotionally taxing to feel like a regular programmer, but it has a sense of whimsy that deviates from the crime thriller aesthetic. “Roofman” feels like two films rolled into one, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Although the film fails to make a coherent point about its main characters, it’s rarely boring, and finds some surprising emotional payoff in its chaos.
Channing Tatum stars in “Roofman” as Jeffrey Manchester, a former United States Army Reserve officer who has fallen on hard times following his divorce from his ex-wife Talana (Melonie Diaz). Depressed and embarrassed that he is unable to provide for his children, Jeffrey decides to return to the hurt that made him a burden before joining the army. After being imprisoned for robbing a chain of McDonald’s restaurants, Jeffrey escapes and decides to hide inside Toys “R” Us while he waits out the media speculation. Jeffrey is initially able to find ways to entertain himself while spending nights at the retail store alone, but he begins to think about what his future will actually look like when he begins to fall for employee Lee Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst), a single mother with two daughters.
The most surprising credit on “Roofman” is writer-director Derek Cianfrance, who has made a name for himself with the harshly emotional psychodramas “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines.” Cianfrance’s skill is in finding the tragic and frustrating ironies in an average life, and “Roofman” is not much different in its grounded aesthetic from his previous work. The difference is that this is an active film about a character unable to stop himself from making risky choices, whereas Cianfrance’s early works were oppressive in their contemplative misery. Despite the brilliance of Cianfrance’s first two films, his last film, The Light Between Oceans, and the HBO series Everything I Know is True, are pessimistic to the point of self-parody. With “Roofman,” Cianfrance has found a truly likable protagonist who engages the audience with his search for meaning and redemption.
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Tatum is an actor with such inherent charisma that he often hides what a great actor he is. Although early in his career he was portrayed as a mild-mannered, simple-minded person, Tatum has evolved into films that are tragic (“Foxcatcher”), sentimental (“Logan Lucky”), and uproariously funny (“21 Jump Street”). All three of these descriptions could apply to “Roofman,” as the film begins on a sobering note that shows the burdens placed on the shoulders of a struggling father who can’t seem to find a respectable way to provide for his family. The first part of the film, which shows how Jeffrey applies his military training to both robberies and prison escapes, sees Cianfrance capturing the same criminal details that made “The Place Beyond the Pines” so visceral.
It takes a truly talented actor to keep the pace of a film steady when the narrative grinds to a halt, and Tatum works magic to break out of Jeffrey’s self-imposed confinement. Although the film is thankfully ambiguous as to whether it was childhood trauma or military PTSD that led to his inability to lie down, Jeffrey’s process of dealing with the disappointments of his failed marriage while concocting a new reality for himself is both heartbreaking and funny in equal measure.
There’s certainly a lot of fun to be had with the idea of a career criminal hiding out in a children’s toy store, but “Roofman” doesn’t turn Jeff into the butt of the movie’s jokes. There may be a modicum of mockery of late-stage capitalism and condemnation of the American justice system, but the more overtly political suggestions are put aside for a more intimate deconstruction of Jeff’s ethics. Even if he was capable of doing some good in the situation he found himself in, Jeff only made short-term plans, seeming to understand that his reality could collapse at any moment.
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Many of the marginal characters in “Roofman” are unfortunately marginal. Ben Mendelsohn plays an earnest (if awkward) local priest, Peter Dinklage is a fun Toys “R” Us manager, and Lakeith Stanfield adds some pathos as an Army buddy of Jeff’s, but none of them have much inside story. However, Dunst has a natural, helpful way of portraying an overworked, upbeat mother, going above and beyond in a role that could be too cliche. Lee has taken the difficult path that Jeff avoided, but she also faces questions about the decision she could have made to save herself the pain.
Dunst and Tatum bring a strange and rewarding dynamic to characters who have made the difficult decision to give each other a second chance. Their chemistry is so good that it makes the inevitable consequences of Jeff’s actions even more crushing. However, “Roofman” is clever in the way it chooses to create suspense, as Jeff’s relationships have greater consequences than his legal punishments. The fact that the film devolves entirely into a romantic comedy for a large portion is neither a disservice nor a sign of tonal inconsistency. Jeff is completely unprepared to find a connection after deciding that his best option is to remain alone, and the film’s shift in genre exemplifies the deceptive inertia it imposes on his budding romance.
“Roofman” has enough speed to keep Jeff on the hook, as there are enough small problems for him to solve along the way that more nuanced relationships have time to develop at a more gradual rate. Even if the film’s conclusion was intended to have the kind of abrupt, clumsy climax that would represent what Jeff actually went through, it seems like Cianfrance wasn’t quite sure how to fit the truism around his story. Even if Jeff was never able to reach self-actualization, the movie could have added more wisdom. Still, “Roofman” feels like an old-fashioned star vehicle, surprising, clever, and genuinely affecting. This is not only a return to form for Cianfrance and a great showing for both Tatum and Dunst, but one of the biggest pleasant surprises of 2025.
