Roofman Review
Roofman tells the story of Jeff Manchester (Channing Tatum), an intelligent but naive low-level criminal who consistently gets himself into trouble despite his best intentions. Throughout the film, we witness his journey from an optimistic, broke dad to a harmless runaway wanted criminal as he hides out in a Toys R Us for months after breaking out of prison to try and see his daughter. As a film, it is as heartwarming as it is funny, as Tatum balances the loneliness of the shop aisles with the desperation of wanting to feel like part of a family again.
The story of Manchester could easily feel crazy enough to be impossible, yet through the way Roofman is directed and the performance of Tatum, it all ends up feeling incredibly possible. He delivers a tour de force performance as the titular character that allows you to really root for the character to have success, even as it becomes clear early on that he’s destined for failure. The emotions of the film rest firmly on his shoulders, and he gives a performance that should easily be in the debate for one of the strongest of the year, if not one of his personal bests.
He is joined in the cast by the likes of Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage, Ben Mendelsohn, Uzo Aduba, LaKeith Stanfield, and Juno Temple, who all play various figures that Manchester interacts with in his time on the run. Dunst is particularly delightful as Leigh Wainscott, whom Manchester falls for after watching her as she works at Toys R Us, and Dinklage is hilarious as Mitch, the Toys R Us Manager.
When watching, I was really drawn to the direction by Derek Cianfrance, who also wrote the Roofman screenplay alongside Kirt Gunn. There were lots of moments in the story that allowed the camerawork the space to focus on the solitary nature of Manchester’s life, and through a lot of intimate handheld camera work, you almost felt that you were isolated with him as a viewer. This was especially noticeable in the scenes that took place in Toys’ R Us. A lot of the credit also has to go to Andrij Parekh, the cinematographer, for this, as it really added to the layers of the film.
I also felt that I was seeing wider shots in the scenes where Manchester was part of a more family setting, such as at Church or with Leigh and her daughters, and I wondered if this was an active choice to reflect Manchester being in a more open and friendly environment. The film was also shot on 35mm, which looks really good visually and also really helped the film to feel more suited to its setting in 2004.
Despite the film effectively being focused on a man’s criminal actions, I genuinely found this to be a particularly uplifting watch. It is a reminder that sometimes good people can end up in bad situations in moments of desperation. Jeff Manchester makes a lot of mistakes, but also repeatedly shows a lot of kindness and care, too, and they are often the moments that lead to his downfall. I found myself consistently rooting for him to turn things around, even though I knew that it was unlikely.
Overall, Roofman is an incredibly funny film with a strong ensemble cast led by a brilliant Channing Tatum. It’s as much of a love story as it is a comedy and tells the story of an extraordinary chain of true events that must be seen to be believed.
★★★★★
In UK cinemas on October 17th – playing as part of the 2025 BFI London Film Festival on October 14th and 15th / Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Peter Dinklage, Uzo Abuda, Ben Mendelsohn, Melonie Diaz / Dir: Derek Cianfrance / Paramount Pictures / 15
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