By George & Josh Bate
Some true stories are simply so wild and baffling that believing they actually happened can prove quite the effort. Roofman, a new film from director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance, tells one of those stories with remarkable charm, heart, and emotion.
Roofman stars Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester, a former U.S. Army reserve who resorts to stealing from various McDonald’s locations to make ends meet for him and his family. After being apprehended by law enforcement and imprisoned for his crimes, Jeffrey manages to pull off a daring prison escape and break free. Desperate to evade capture and to be one day reunited with his family, Jeffrey hides in the walls of a Toys “R” Us store and begins to build a new life, including a romance with Toys “R” Us employee and single mother Leigh (Kirsten Dunst).
Derek Cianfrance swaps the gritty realism and darker themes his previous efforts like Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines have been marked by for a film decidedly lighter and more humorous, although not lacking one ounce of the compelling drama and character work the filmmaker is known for. Roofman deftly tows a delicate line between tragedy and comedy, between heartwarming and heartbreaking. The bulk of the film plays like a light-hearted comedy, backed by a mind-boggling “stranger than fiction” premise at its core. Underneath the humor and craziness, however, is a powerful tale of a kind-hearted man desperate for familial connection and doomed by poor decisions. Cianfrance ensures that the humor never undercuts the more serious moments, while simultaneously never suffocating his film in dense emotion (something that could not be said for some of his prior work). Roofman never makes light or pokes fun at the true story on which it is based; rather, it takes a story that, on the surface, is quite unbelievable, but deep down is a tale far more grounded and moving.
Unlike Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines (which is, in our opinion, one of the most underrated movies of the century so far), Roofman forecasts the trajectory of its story from the beginning. But, a testament to the excitement and emotion of this journey, the predictability doesn’t reduce investment in the characters or story in the slightest. As he makes a new life with Kirsten Dunst’s Leigh while secretly living in a Toys “R” Us, Tatum’s Jeffrey Manchester holds a secret that only he and the audience know. The writing is on the wall that this secret is going to be revealed at some point, which creates a certain tragedy and sense of dread throughout the film.
It’s a deceptively complex performance from Tatum, one that could easily be mistaken as another comedic-leaning performance with a dramatic flair from the actor. But Tatum’s performance deserves far more plaudits. Most commendably, Tatum does an exceptional job conveying the balance of inner anguish and elation. Through Kirsten Dunst’s Leigh and her two daughters, Jeffrey begins to find a purpose in life again and even enjoy himself, but, not so deep down, he knows that this newfound life may not last forever. So many quiet moments in the film see Cianfrance simply let the camera rest on Tatum’s face during a moment where, outwardly, everything seems to be going great. Tatum’s Jeffrey is having a great time, enjoying himself, making jokes, and yet there’s this almost indescribable pain just lurking under the surface that the actor absolutely nails.
The tragedy and dread are as potent as they are due to an immensely likable, charming, and ultimately vulnerable turn from Channing Tatum. His Jeffrey Manchester is introduced as a man whose crimes juxtapose his moral compass and kindness. An early scene, for instance, tracks Jeffrey as he robs a McDonald’s and forces the employees into a freezer, only to then take his own coat off and give it to one of the employees because they are cold. This scene succinctly conveys what kind of person Jeffrey is and immediately earns the viewers’ endearment. Throughout the story, even when he doesn’t make the best decisions, Jeffrey is undeniably compelling and easy to root for, so much so that it’s even uncomfortable at times knowing with a fair degree of certainty that this story won’t end happily.
In the third act, as the stakes increase, so does the quality of Tatum’s performance. What is already a phenomenal performance at this point turns into an awards-worthy, career-best turn from the actor. Tatum has done strong dramatic work in the past, namely in Foxcatcher, but outdoes himself here as he takes the audience on a rollercoaster of different, powerful emotions. With over nine months through 2025, we can confidently say that we have not been as moved by a performance this year as we were with Channing Tatum in Roofman.
Similarly moving, albeit in a more limited role, is Kirsten Dunst. Like that of her acting counterpart, the performance from the Academy Award nominated actress takes on newfound dimensions and complexities in the third act, after an already stellar turn in the preceding film. Dunst and Tatum share incredible chemistry with one another and craft a doomed on-screen romance we can’t help but cheer on. She beautifully conveys the struggles of a single mother with two children, who simultaneously wants to have a life (and love) of her own, and brings an added warmth to the film. Like Tatum, Dunst should absolutely be considered for an acting nomination when awards season kicks into gear.
If there’s any criticism to lodge at Roofman, it’s that the film is a tad straightforward in its narrative. As stated, the film unfolds almost exactly as one would expect, which, while not dampening on the emotions or humor, does deprive the film of tension at times. Although Cianfrance plays with this idea of a good man doing bad things throughout, the filmmaker seems largely uninterested in examining this issue more intricately or subversively, instead letting us unreservedly root for our lead throughout. Finally, the film does its best to conclude on a more hopeful note, something that has you exiting the film feeling more satisfied than you may expect heading in. However, once again, Cianfrance’s choice to take a more streamlined approach to the conclusion means there’s a sense that this true story’s ending has been distorted in a way to make this as happy of an ending as possible.
VERDICT: 8.5/10
Heartwarming and heartbreaking, lovely and tragic, Roofman is easily one of 2025’s best movies. The latest work from director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance sees the filmmaker swap his trademark gritty realism and dense drama for a far lighter, more humorous story, albeit one that does not sacrifice the powerful emotions and compelling characters we’ve come to expect from Cianfrance. Roofman deftly tows a delicate tonal balance to ensure that its lightness and sense of humor never undercut the tragedy and groundedness of its story. Although the film unfolds predictably, investment in our lead character remains strong throughout, largely due to an awards-worthy and career-best turn from Channing Tatum. The actor somehow outdoes his exceptional turn in Foxcatcher for a deceptively complex performance that moved us more than any performance we’ve seen this year. Despite Cianfrance taking a rather straightforward route in avoiding intricate moral questions in favor of a more traditional happy (or as happy as possible) ending, Roofman nonetheless proves undeniably compelling, charming, and enjoyable. Just like how Channing Tatum’s character ascends to the roofs of McDonald’s to rob them, Roofman ascends to be near the top (or roof) of our best movies of the year rankings.