You’ve probably heard the story before. Two guys dressed as cops knock on a side door at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It's 1990. They tie up the guards. They walk away with $500 million worth of Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Degas. It’s the greatest unsolved art theft in history. People are obsessed with it. But the any day now movie 2024 isn't another dry documentary or a gritty Netflix series. It’s something much weirder.
Honestly, it’s a heist movie that barely wants to be a heist movie.
Directed by Eric Aronson, who previously wrote the Johnny Depp flop Mortdecai, this film made its big splash at the 2024 Boston Film Festival before hitting wider release in early 2025. It’s a comedy. Or maybe a crime thriller? It’s kinda both and neither. It takes the real-world trauma of Boston’s lost art and turns it into a playground for a "loser" security guard and a silver-tongued criminal.
Why Any Day Now Movie 2024 Isn't Your Typical Heist Flick
Most heist movies follow a strict rhythm. You get the recruitment, the planning, the "one last job" speech, and the execution. Aronson throws that out the window. The any day now movie 2024 starts with a title card that flatly tells you: "This is not what happened."
That’s your first clue.
We follow Steve Baker, played by Taylor Gray. He’s a mess. He’s a night watchman at the Gardner, yes, but he’s also a failed musician drowning in $5,000 of debt to a local drug dealer named Albert. His roommate, Danny, is a deadbeat. He’s in love with Danny’s girlfriend, Sara (Alexandra Templer). Steve is the definition of a "doormat." He spends his shifts at the museum playing betting games with other guards to see how close they can get to the paintings without tripping the sensors.
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Then Marty Lyons walks in.
Paul Guilfoyle, a veteran you likely recognize from CSI, plays Marty. He is the absolute heart of this movie. Marty is a veteran thief, maybe a dirty cop, and definitely a manipulator. He sees Steve and doesn't just see an "inside man." He sees a project. He wants to teach Steve how to have some "balls."
The Boston Factor
You can't talk about this movie without talking about the city. Usually, Boston movies are all "Southie" accents and Ben Affleck-style grit. This feels different. It was shot on location, and it feels lived-in. We aren't seeing the tourist traps. We're seeing gritty diners, backyards, and dive bars.
The chemistry between Guilfoyle and Gray is the engine here. Marty is loquacious and scary, while Steve is just trying to survive the day. The film spends more time on their oddball mentor-protege relationship than it does on the actual mechanics of the theft.
Some critics hated this.
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They wanted Ocean’s Eleven. Instead, they got a character study about a kid who’s being forced to grow up by a criminal. It’s slow-burn. It’s heavy on dialogue. There are even weird musical interludes that feel like they belong in a completely different movie. Aronson uses strange camera perspectives—like characters speaking directly into the lens during conversations—that he eventually just stops doing halfway through. It’s messy.
The Reality of the Gardner Heist vs. The Film
If you’re looking for a historical reenactment, you’re in the wrong place. The any day now movie 2024 uses the 1990 heist as a backdrop, but it invents a totally fictitious backstory.
In real life:
- The thieves were never caught.
- The art has never been recovered.
- The empty frames still hang on the museum walls as a memorial.
In the movie:
- The "misfit" crew is led by a guy who might actually care about the kid he’s exploiting.
- The third act takes a massive detour that involves a pizza box and a surprise ending that most people didn't see coming.
- The tone shifts from dark comedy to something almost sentimental.
It’s a "what if" scenario that doesn't care about the facts. It cares about the vibe of 1990s Boston and the desperation of people living on the margins.
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Does it actually work?
Depends on who you ask. The film holds a "C-" or "B-" range from most indie critics. It’s not a masterpiece. It’s "capable." But if you’re a fan of Paul Guilfoyle, it’s a must-watch. He’s been a character actor for fifty years, usually in the background. Here, he gets to run the show. He’s combustible, funny, and weirdly lovable.
One of the weirdest parts of the production? The film was actually ready earlier but had its big moment when it won top awards at the 40th Boston Film Festival in September 2024. That local validation gave it the legs to get a theatrical run in March 2025.
Actionable Insights for Viewers
If you’re planning to track down the any day now movie 2024, here’s the best way to approach it. Don't go in expecting a high-octane thriller. It's a "hanging out" movie.
- Look for the Details: Keep an eye on the museum scenes. While they couldn't film the actual heist inside the real Gardner (obviously), the sets and locations they used are remarkably authentic to the Boston landscape.
- The Soundtrack Matters: Since Steve is a musician, the music isn't just background noise. It’s part of his character arc. Pay attention to the song Marty performs on stage—it’s a pivotal moment for the duo.
- Check the Streaming Status: After its limited theatrical run through March 2025, the film moved to boutique platforms like Kinema. It’s often easier to find on indie-focused streaming services than the big giants like Netflix or Hulu.
- Context is Key: Before watching, spend five minutes on the Wikipedia page for the actual 1990 Gardner Museum theft. Knowing what "really happened" makes the movie's "this is not what happened" approach much funnier.
Basically, it's a small movie with a big heart and a very strange sense of humor. It won't solve the mystery of where those paintings are, but it might make you look at the empty frames a little differently. If you want to see a legendary character actor finally get his due in a leading role, this is the one to put on your list.
Just don't expect a typical Hollywood ending. In Boston, things usually end a lot messier than that.
To get the most out of your viewing experience, try to find a version with the director's Q&A attached—Aronson and Guilfoyle have a specific kind of chemistry that explains a lot of the film's eccentric choices. Keep your expectations grounded, focus on the performances, and enjoy a fresh, albeit fictional, riff on a crime that still haunts the city of Boston.