Netflix’s ‘How To Rob A Bank’ Spotlights Seattle’s Infamous Thief

Scott Scurlock, the focal point of Netflix’s documentary “How To Rob A Bank,” is back in the limelight nearly three decades after his last heist. The film, which debuted on Netflix’s Top 10 list, sheds light on Scurlock’s transformation from an ordinary man to a skilled and elusive criminal.

Portraying the life of a man who transitioned from running a drug business in college to robbing banks in his forties, the documentary highlights Scurlock’s criminal spree in Seattle between 1992 and 1996. With a total of 17 bank robberies under his belt, he managed to steal nearly $1 million, sometimes hitting multiple banks in a single night with the help of accomplices Steven Meyers and Mark Briggins.

Despite being a known figure to the police and the subject of a lengthy pursuit, Scurlock managed to evade capture for years. He capitalized on the burgeoning tech industry in Seattle, utilizing a local police scanner and adopting elaborate disguises that earned him the moniker “Hollywood.”

Scurlock’s story came to a tragic end when, after a failed heist that netted over $1 million, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while fleeing from the police. His accomplices, Meyers and Briggins, eventually served their sentences and were released from prison in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

The documentary aims to highlight the consequences of crime, rather than glorify the criminal acts themselves. It delves into the context of Seattle’s bank robbery epidemic during the tech boom of the 1990s, where Scurlock’s crimes were just a part of a larger trend.

Inspired by movies like “Heat” and “Point Break,” Scurlock used masks and disguises to hide his identity, with Meyers acting as a lookout and Briggins assisting in the escape. Despite the extensive planning and execution of his crimes, Scurlock’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the eventual repercussions of a life of crime.