From breaking into vaults to bank heists, movies often portray security breaches as flawless operations where characters are easily able to avoid or overcome security systems. While these scenes are crafted for maximum suspense, they often raise the question: How realistic are they?
To find out, we asked three of our own experts to get their takes on some of Hollywood’s most famous security breaches.
Lars Halldén leads a team of security officers in Stockholm and has more than 22 years of industry experience. Lisa Chow, a security officer based in California, has spent eight years working across a range of facilities and has hands-on experience with everything from access control to incident response. And Kenneth Evers, director of Securitas’ Experience Center in Malmö, is an expert in security systems and technology, specializing in how security solutions work in action.
Together, they offer expert insights on how on-screen security breaches compare to real-life scenarios.
Jurassic Park (1993): Stealing a dinosaur embryo
The scene: Dennis Nedry (played by Wayne Knight) disables the Jurassic Park’s security systems. With the surveillance cameras off, he enters the park’s cold storage area and manages to steal the dinosaur embryos.
Is it plausible?
Kenneth: In a real-world high-risk environment, such as a biotech lab or research facility, there are multiple security layers that prevent any one person from having unchecked access.
Protections like role-based access, multi-factor authentication, and behavioral anomaly detection would prevent someone from singlehandedly taking down an entire infrastructure. Any unusual access patterns or system overrides would trigger alerts instantly. Insider threat detection systems would also flag behavioral anomalies like late-night access, access pattern deviations, or unscheduled maintenance, especially from someone with elevated permissions.
In addition to this, remote monitoring teams would have visibility into system health and facility status 24/7. Any attempt to disable cameras, override gates, or access sensitive storage areas would escalate immediately to live operators.
There are also physical security measures, such as badge readers, biometric access, surveillance, and anti-smuggling protocols that would prevent someone from simply grabbing high-value material and walking out unnoticed. In critical environments, exits are monitored with bag checks, weight sensors, and even object tracking.
Put simply, modern security is built on layered protection, blending physical safeguards, intelligent systems, and trained human oversight. A breach attempt like this would be contained early, with audit trails, remote lockdown options, and escalation protocols triggered long before any embryos left the lab.
Den of Thieves (2018): A coordinated bank heist
The scene: A group of armed robbers carry out a coordinated bank heist. Despite the presence of on-site security officers and police surveillance, the use of hostages effectively prevents any attempt at intervention.
Is it plausible?
Lisa: While being rough-handled or held at gunpoint is unfortunately something that can happen in a real robbery, there are key moments in the scene that are less realistic. One such example is the officer standing by the coffee poster who somehow didn’t notice the robbers until they were already inside. In real life, officers are highly vigilant and trained to be alert at all times.
Especially in a place like a bank, where there are large glass doors and windows, you’re constantly watching the entrance and reading people’s behavior. A good officer would have seen them coming and acted to prevent the situation from escalating.
Mission Impossible (1996): Breaking into the CIA black vault
The scene: Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) breaks into the supposedly impenetrable black vault via a high-wire act. Using a cable, he is lowered into the vault to download classified information off a computer while remaining completely undetectable.
Is it plausible?
Lars: As the title suggests, this mission would be virtually impossible in the real world, especially by today’s standards.
High-security government facilities, especially those housing classified information, operate under multiple layers of protection: biometric access, real-time motion and pressure detection, air-quality sensors, surveillance systems, and strict compartmentalization protocols.
The idea that someone could be lowered silently into a high-value room without triggering alarms or being flagged by environmental sensors – especially while accessing a secured terminal – is highly unrealistic.
National Treasure (2004): Stealing the Declaration of Independence
The scene: Benjamin Gates (played by Nicolas Cage) and Riley Poole (played by Justin Bartha) detail their plan to steal the Declaration of Independence from the preservation room during an upcoming gala at the National Archives.
Is it plausible?
Kenneth: The real Declaration of Independence is one of the most heavily protected documents in the world.
As mentioned in the scene, it’s stored in a sealed case and lowered each night into a secure vault, according to the National Archives. The preservation room is monitored by sensors for pressure, temperature, and environmental conditions, with restricted access controlled by multi-factor authentication and dual-authentication protocols (meaning no single person can enter alone).
The building is likely covered by 24/7 surveillance, monitored both on-site and remotely, with behavior analytics that flag anything out of the ordinary such as loitering, unauthorized entry, or even abnormal posture near the case. During public events, security presence is likely heightened – not reduced, as suggested in the scene – with trained personnel, roaming patrols, and controlled access to sensitive areas. There’s no “just duck behind a curtain” moment.
A heist like this would trigger multiple simultaneous alerts, resulting in a rapid lockdown and nearly immediate human intervention. Systems today are built not only to protect against intruders, but to anticipate and detect suspicious behavior before it escalates.
Oceans 8 (2018): Met Gala jewelry heist
The scene: In this large-scale and intricate jewelry heist, the Oceans 8 team infiltrates the Met Gala and works together to steal “the most valuable necklace in the world.”
Is it plausible?
Lars: While the coordination among the heist team is clever and cinematic, the plan relies too heavily on external variables going perfectly – something most security professionals (myself included) would consider highly improbable in real life.
At an event like the Met Gala, security is meticulously planned and implemented. You’d have event security, venue staff, and law enforcement liaisons, plus high-profile guests would likely have personal protection officers. Each of these security professionals are trained to detect and respond to even the most subtle changes in behavior, body language, and environment, and would recognize early on that something was off.
Also, at events with assets of this value, the item itself would likely be under some form of physical protection – like a tamper-proof clasp, proximity alarm, or tracking measure, particularly if it were on loan.
It’s a fun and high-stakes scene, but in reality, it would only take one vigilant officer or a single deviation from plan to unravel the entire operation.
Final verdict
Modern security solutions are robust, multilayered, and constantly evolving. They’re designed to detect and prevent breaches like these before they occur or escalate. And risk intelligence is an increasingly important tool that helps organizations proactively anticipate, detect, and mitigate security threats effectively.
While these scenes make for great entertainment, in reality, most of the security breaches would be identified and stopped long before the “bad guys” succeeded.
If you’re curious to explore how real-world security helps bolster protection and resilience, we showcase these kinds of scenarios every day at the Securitas Experience Center. Visit one of our many locations to see firsthand how modern safety and security solutions are designed to solve operational challenges, minimize risk, and support business continuity.
