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The New #5 Show on Netflix Unveils the World’s Biggest Art Heist—& How the Robbers Pulled it Off

Documentary fans are going to love Netflix’s latest addition, which examines one of the most notorious thefts in history.

Introducing This Is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist. The limited series just premiered on Netflix earlier this week, and it’s already claimed the number five spot on the streaming service’s list of most-watched shows. (It’s currently ranked behind Who Killed Sara?, The Serpent, Family Reunion and Cocomelon.)

So, what is This Is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist about? It examines a crime that took place on St. Patrick’s Day in 1990. It all started when two men dressed up as cops and infiltrated the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. They walked away with 13—we repeat, 13—irreplaceable pieces of art from noteworthy artists like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Manet and Degas.

The documentary is told through the perspective of journalists, investigators and witnesses who remember the day like it was yesterday. Although the crime is notorious, it’s never been analyzed for the public…until now.

The docuseries was directed by Colin Barnicle (Billy Joel: New York State of Mind). He also served as an executive producer alongside Nick Barnicle (The Six Day Race: The Story of Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor), Linda Henry (Magic for Beginners), Jane Rosenthal (About a Boy) and Berry Welsh (The Irishman).

This Is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist consists of four parts, which are each around 50 minutes long. Our true-crime senses are already buzzing with delight.

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Greta Heggeness

Senior Editor

Greta Heggeness is a California-based editor at PureWow and has been writing about entertainment since 2015. She covers everything from awards shows to exclusive celebrity...
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