In 1998, Jeffrey Manchester is a divorced US Army veteran living in North Carolina. Struggling to provide for his three young children, Jeffrey is reminded by Steve, his friend and fellow member of the 82nd Airborne Division, of his powerful skills of observation. Jeffrey uses his knack for noticing and exploiting routines to rob a McDonald's, breaking in through the roof at night. Surprising the morning shift, Jeffrey orders the employees into the walk-in freezer but treats them kindly, even giving the manager his own coat before escaping with the contents of the safe.
Over the next two years, Jeffrey carries out over 40 robberies with the same strategy, capturing the attention of the authorities and the media as the mysterious "Roofman." Arrested at his daughter's birthday party after attempting to flee, he is sentenced to 45 years in prison, while his ex-wife ends his contact with their children. Working in the prison shop, Jeffrey uses his attention to routines to escape by hiding underneath a delivery truck. Hitchhiking to Charlotte in makeshift street clothes, he is unable to reach his children with a manhunt underway. He calls Steve, who warns him to lie low, and is forced to hide in the bathroom ceiling at a Toys "R" Us.
Venturing into the employee area once the store closes for the night, Jeffrey finds the security system manual and stops the cameras from recording. He furnishes a hiding place in a hollow wall behind a bicycle display, concealing himself during the day and roaming the empty store at night. Helping himself to clothes from the donation bin and other merchandise, he survives on Peanut M&M's and installs baby monitors to track the store's staff. When Mitch, the store's manager, is unwilling to accommodate his employee Leigh's schedule as a single mother, Jeffrey accesses Mitch's computer to change Leigh's shifts himself.
Stealing toys to donate to the toy drive Leigh has organized at her church, Jeffrey claims to be a visiting New Yorker named John Zorn and is introduced to Leigh. He pawns stolen video games to pay for dental work after living on a candy diet, and evades questions at a church singles event by telling Leigh and the others that he is an undercover government agent. Leigh asks "John" on a date, and they begin a relationship. Missing his own children, Jeffrey makes an effort to bond with Leigh's daughters Lindsay and Dee, but is unable to persuade Leigh to start a new life together elsewhere.
While washing himself at the store, a naked Jeffrey is interrupted by Mitch and retreats to his hideout, leaving police to believe a homeless man snuck in and fled. After Lindsay lashes out at her mother, Jeffrey buys a used car to teach her to drive and takes the family on a reckless test drive. Steve returns after months overseas, and agrees to help Jeffrey escape the country under a new identity for $50,000. Desperate, Jeffrey botches a break-in at the pawn shop to steal a gun, and burns down his dentist's office to cover his tracks.
Adjusting Leigh's schedule to keep her away, Jeffrey holds the Toys "R" Us staff at gunpoint and pistol-whips an armored car guard, but Leigh arrives while he is calling for an ambulance. She recognizes the masked Jeffrey, who flees with the store's cash before the police arrive, discovering his hideout. Jeffrey pays Steve for his fake documents and leaves for the airport, but receives a call from Leigh. Unwilling to abandon her, he arrives at her apartment, but is taken into custody and receives a 40-year sentence.
Leigh visits Jeffrey and they forgive each other, and he reconnects with his own daughter as he accepts life behind bars. An epilogue reveals that Leigh remarried but visited Jeffrey again for the first time in decades, while Jeffrey made two more escape attempts and is eligible for parole in 2036.
Principal photography began on October 24, 2024, in Gastonia, North Carolina.[12] Filming wrapped on December 12, 2024.[13] Cinematographer Andrij Parekh shot the film on 35mm, marking his second collaboration with Cianfrance.[14] Some of the filming locations include Freedom Park, Mecklenburg County Jail North, and the Gaston County Courthouse. Jim Helton edited the film.[15]
Roofman had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025.[17][18] It was released in the United States on October 10, 2025,[19] moved from its original release date of October 3, 2025.[20]
Box office
As of October12,2025[update], the film has grossed $8 million on its opening weekend.[4]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 113 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "A disarmingly sweet tonal gearshift for director Derek Cianfrance, Roofman is shaggy as a narrative but expertly tailored to Channing Tatum's strengths as an eminently likable leading man."[21]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[22] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[23]
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