Roofman
★ ★ ★ ½
Roofman is based on the true story of Jeffrey “Jeff” Manchester, a Charlotte, N.C., man who notoriously robbed an unknown number of McDonald’s and other fast-food restaurants by breaking in through the roof. As an underemployed, divorced Navy veteran and struggling father, he needed a way to support his family.
The film opens with Jeff breaking into a McDonald’s through the roof. He’s polite about it—friendly, almost apologetic—as he holds the employees at gunpoint and ushers them into the walk-in freezer, even making sure they have warm clothes before locking the door. Then he robs the place. We flash back two years. Jeff (Channing Tatum), recently discharged from the Army and newly divorced, struggles to provide for his three kids. When his daughter Becky’s disappointment over a secondhand toy wrecks him, he drops her off with his ex-wife Talina (Melonie Diaz) in a McDonald’s parking lot. She doubts he can handle fatherhood. When they drive off, Jeff looks up at the golden arches—and our story begins.
Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester
© 2025 Miramax
Two years later, he’s robbed 45 McDonald’s, earning the nickname “Roofman.” For Becky’s birthday, Jeff throws an elaborate party. He’s got a house, a big-screen TV (a big deal in the late ’90s), and finally, some stability—until the cops crash the celebration and arrest him in a nearby field as Becky watches. He’s convicted and sentenced to 45 years for only one of the robberies and several kidnapping charges for locking employees in the freezer. Jeff longs to reunite with his daughter. His charm and cunning win over the guards, so when security slips, he hides in a delivery truck and escapes.
On the run, Jeff calls his friend Steve (LaKeith Stanfield), who tells him to lay low for 30 days. He breaks into a Toys “R” Us and hides in the ceiling. Using store inventory, he builds a makeshift home—bed, TV, even a baby monitor surveillance setup. It’s absurd, ingenious and oddly endearing.
But Jeff can’t stay put. He meets an employee, Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a divorced mom of two teenage girls. This is where things get better for him—and more complicated. As Jeff grows close to Leigh and her daughters, he’s forced to lie about who he is and keep his cover intact.
Juno Temple as Michelle and LaKeith Stanfield as Steve
© 2025 Miramax
For the first time, Jeff finds the kind of normal life he’s been chasing—family dinners, laughter, the illusion of stability—all while living in a toy store. It’s ironic and bittersweet, the kind of peace that was never built to last.
Tatum turns on his charm and plays Jeff perfectly, bringing to life a career criminal with a friendly, cheerful disposition. We actually believe him when he’s apologizing to fast food employees as he’s robbing them. Dunst brings her own warmth, a little broken before she meets Jeff. We see her start to come back to life as their relationship develops.
Channing Tatum as Jeffrey and Kirstin Dunst as Leigh
© 2025 Miramax
What makes this film work is the somewhat lighthearted approach to a riveting true story. It’s funny at times, consistently engaging and quietly tragic. Even without knowing the true story, we know the other shoe is going to drop eventually.
The film suffers from uneven pacing and starts to stall a little after Jeff and Leigh meet. A snip or two to the cutting room floor would tighten the narrative and keep the story moving.
Still, for what it is—a film about a man who becomes a career criminal for the sake of his family—it’s an engaging story, and it’s well told here. Toys “R” Us is poised to make a comeback. Hopefully they’ve tightened some security.
Rated: R for language, nudity and brief sexuality.
Running Time: 2h 6m
Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
Written by: Derek Cianfrance, Kirt Gunn
Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage, Uzo Aduba, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Molly Price
Comedy, Drama, Crime
