Lede

Based on a true story, yes. Exactly true, no. We count what changed.

Roofman (2025): Roast movie synopsis

A man meets a roof. The roof loses. Our smooth burglar drops through ceilings, raids fryers, then slips custody and moves into a toy store like it is a studio flat by aisle 7. The film gives him puppy eyes, a church crush, and a tidy conscience upgrade. Victims get one cold shiver, then the freezer door politely closes offscreen. Cops drift through like night shift extras. Every time reality bites, a warm montage pats it on the head. By the end, gravity wins and the cuffs click, but the landing is soft, like a beanbag from the top shelf. Fun in bits, sad where it counts, and forever stamped with the line: based on a true story, edited for vibes.

Roofman | Official Trailer (2025 Movie) – Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst

What does not make sense

• Six months hidden in a toy store feels comic. Real staff were scared and robbed.
• The romance softens the crimes. The freezer door still shuts on victims.
• Prison escape looks clever. Actual time served is long and dull.
• Tone flip. Caper beats consequence.

Sense check / The numbers

1. 40 to 45 robberies through roofs across fast food chains in the late 1990s to 2000s. Number varies by source, but scale is clear. [Financial Times][Biography]
2. Escaped custody in 2004. Lived inside a Toys R Us for about six months. Recaptured on 5 January 2005. [Wikipedia Jeffrey Manchester][Vanity Fair]
3. Film premiered at TIFF on 6 September 2025. US release 10 October 2025. UK release 17 October 2025. [Wikipedia film][FT]
4. Budget about 17 to 19 million USD. Gross around 25 million USD mid October 2025. Direction by Derek Cianfrance. [Wikipedia film]
5. CinemaScore B+ and mixed-positive reviews. The true story spine is intact. The tone is softened. [Rotten Tomatoes][FT]

Cast and credits

Director: Derek Cianfrance.
Writers: Derek Cianfrance, Kirt Gunn.
Main cast: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Uzo Aduba, Peter Dinklage.
Composer: Christopher Bear.
Studios: High Frequency Entertainment, Hunting Lane, 51 Entertainment, Limelight.
Runtime: 126 minutes.
Releases: TIFF 6 Sep 2025. US 10 Oct 2025. UK 17 Oct 2025. [IMDb][Wikipedia film]

The sketch

Scene 1: A dark roof. A cordless saw hums. A bag drops through the hole. Voice off: Count the freezers, not the meet-cutes.
Scene 2: Store aisle fort. Tents of boxes. A sign reads: Staff Only. Footsteps pass. Whisper: Six months is not a punchline.
Scene 3: Church hall. Tea urn hisses. Phone rings. A quiet nod. Door opens. Handcuffs click.

What to watch, not the show

• True crime romcom drift. Sympathy shifts to the offender.
• Victim erasure risk. Freezers and fear get one scene, then fade.
• Box office vs tone. A light caper sells. Justice is slower.
• Press cycle. TIFF launch on 6 Sep 2025 set the narrative arc.

The Hermit take

A wild story did not need sugar. Count the scared staff, then count the laughs.

Keep or toss

Keep. Keep the facts, dates, and the oddity of the hideout.
Toss. Toss the gloss that trims victim impact.

Sources

IMDb title page – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4627382/
IMDb full credits – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4627382/fullcredits/
Wikipedia, Roofman (film) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roofman
Rotten Tomatoes page – https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roofman
Biography.com explainer on the true story – https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/a68152400/roofman-jeffrey-manchester-true-story-channing-tatum
Vanity Fair feature on the real case – https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/roofman-true-story
Wikipedia, Jeffrey Manchester – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Manchester
Financial Times review – https://www.ft.com/content/6232364e-93b3-4254-b3e1-1088f1596574