Director: Derek Cianfrance
What Is Roofman About?
Roofman is a crime drama based on the true story of Jeffrey Manchester (played by Channing Tatum), a former Army veteran who turns to robbing fast-food restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, which earns him the nickname “Roofman.” After being caught and sent to prison, he manages to escape and secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us store for months while hiding from the police. During this time, he begins a relationship with a woman named Leigh and tries to build a new identity, but his double life and criminal past slowly catch up to him.
My Personal Thoughts:
If there were an award for the biggest surprise movie of 2025, Roofman takes the cake without a doubt. I decided to put this movie on for background as I was working on a LEGO set, but found myself glued to the TV and could not imagine what was coming next. The craziest part to me is that this movie is actually based on real events, and not too far off from the true story. Channing Tatum gives his best performance to date and really sells the importance of balancing risk vs reward in this film. The double life aspect was detailed so well, and I thought the performance Kristen Dunst (Leigh) gives was really underrated to understand her point of view on letting a stranger into her life and not knowing the full aspect of who this person is.
The film does a wonderful job at being self-aware of its crazy true story, and there are so many life-out-loud moments, mixed in with moments that will pull on your heartstrings, but the blend is a perfect mixture of a great time. Although we are watching an escaped convict on screen, the movie plays it perfectly by making you want to root for him no matter the situation he gets in, and this is executed by great pacing, nonstop wacky moments, and an outstanding performance by Channing Tatum.
How Much of Roofman is a True Story?
(SPOILERS)
Roofman was based on a true story, but Hollywood definitely added its flair to spice up the story some. Jeffrey Manchester really did commit nearly 40 robberies, was caught in 2000, and later escaped from prison in 2004 by hiding under a truck. After escaping, he actually lived secretly inside a Toys “R” Us in North Carolina for several months, surviving on food from the store and sneaking out at night. He even attended church and started a relationship with a woman who didn’t know his true identity.
However, the film does change some events to make the story more dramatic. For example, the film shows him being arrested at his daughter’s birthday party, but in real life, he was arrested in a church parking lot. The movie also simplifies parts of his time on the run, like leaving out that he also hid in a nearby Circuit City store and changing details about the woman he dated. Overall, this is one of the more accurate “based on a true story” claims out there, which also happens to be very ironic with the crazy events that occur.
Movie Stub Rating
I genuinely did not expect to like this movie as much as I did. It was a complete blast from start to finish with no real complaints. If you have not checked this movie out or have been on the fence about it, stop what you are doing and go watch for yourself.
