“Roofman” is so crazy it must be based on actual events.
Phew … it is.
That gives this engaging film an edge and some necessary structure. Few would buy a kindhearted thief who spent months living in a toy store while wooing a comely Christian. The film’s real roots still pose a problem, but it’s one star Channing Tatum makes us mostly forget with his winning performance.

Tatum stars as Jeffrey Manchester, a military veteran struggling to make ends meet. He can’t even afford a bike for his adorable daughter.
So he taps into his curious skill set – he’s handy with tools and notices things few others can spot. That leads to a life of crime, specifically breaking into fast-food joints through the ceiling to grab their cash.
He’s unfailingly polite while robbing perfect strangers, even giving one worker the coat off his back before locking him in the restaurant’s cooler. Awwww. The press dubs him Roofman for his preferred point of entry, but before long police crack his criminal code.
He uses those same skills to escape prison, finding a temporary home within the bowels of a Toys ‘R Us store. He eventually meets a sweet divorcee named Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), essentially starting a second family in the process.
Awww. Ewww?
Channing Tatum locked himself inside a Toys R Us for an entire night and livestreamed to promote ‘Roofman’ pic.twitter.com/yetLWPK37o
— Culture Crave (@CultureCrave) October 5, 2025
“Roofman” is so invested in Jeffrey’s sweet nature that it doesn’t fully come to grips with his trickery. It helps that Tatum is at his most charming here, flashing kindness to everyone he meets.
That’s actually a problem.
Surely the real Manchester had a demon or two to slay, or at the very least compartmentalized his actions in a way that hid their cruelty. We see little of the kind here, save a driving sequence where Jeffrey pushes matters too far.
Yet director Derek Cianfrance (“Blue Valentine”) keeps the mood light and limber, even extending grace to a Christian subplot. Jeffrey connects with both Leigh and her church community, a rare mainstream example of faith given a gentle close-up.
That includes the great Ben Mendelsohn as a church leader, but “Rooftop” doesn’t give the “Bloodline” alum much to do. Inconceivable!
Peter Dinklage gets more mileage from his character, an unctuous Toys ‘R Us boss who gives his scenes a necessary snap.
Tatum and Dunst share sweet chemistry, with the latter flashing a shocking naivety about her beau’s tics. His excuses for his curious lifestyle (a mysterious job and much more) should trigger her Spidey senses, but she’s hungry for companionship and kindness.
Who can’t relate?
“Roofman” is about redemption as well as a crazed reality worthy of the big screen. The story in question can only deliver so much cinematic warmth, but the film and the real world overlap just enough to offer hope in dark times.
HiT or Miss: “Roofman” is a sweet, sentimental yarn based on events so crazy even the best screenwriter couldn’t make them up.
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