If you’re a fan of foreign films and television projects, there’s never been a better time to be a Netflix subscriber. The streamer’s latest original series, The Helicopter Heist, tells the shocking true story of a famous robbery which took place in Stockholm, Sweden in 2009. The newly released series has already garnered a ton of watch hours from fans all over the world, exposing international audiences to one of the largest and most off-the-walls crimes in Sweden’s history. Viewers who have already tuned in to see The Helicopter Heist may still be reeling from the thrilling conclusion, and looking for a place to unpack all of their thoughts and feelings regarding the final moments of the show.
Luckily, we’ve got your back with a quick, comprehensive, and thorough guide to The Helicopter Heist’s plot, themes and ending. Those who have not yet watched the series in full should be advised that we’re hashing out the show with full spoilers ahead, so please be sure to bookmark this page and return after you’re caught up on all eight episodes.
What Happens in ‘The Helicopter Heist’?
Though the robbery itself goes off in the span of minutes, The Helicopter Heist does a great deal of complex world-building and character work before diving directly into the action. The show first kicks off a few months before the titular crime, as reformed criminal Rami Farhan works to feed his family by fully legitimate means. Despite his best efforts, Rami is mired by credit card debt and an overall lack of opportunity to progress in his role as a professional chef. While searching for answers, he stumbles upon his childhood friend and former partner in crime Michel, who is currently cooking up a scheme for the greatest heist of their lives. As Michel comes to explain, he is dating a woman who works in a British-owned bank within Stockholm, providing him with prime access to the building’s massive vault.
Though Rami first declines, citing the G4S cash depot as one of the most protected banks in all of Sweden, he is eventually forced to accept when his finances become even more dire. He officially partners with Michel, and the pair begin putting together a team whose first responsibility is stealing a Bell 206 helicopter. Filip Zovic, a Serbian national, is first chosen to serve as the pilot for the helicopter heist, though his attachment to the project sets off alarm bells for the Serbian ministry, who have a close eye on his whereabouts. The gang hit a stutter step when Zovic eventually quits the team, citing familial responsibilities for his departure. They eventually land a new pilot named Axel, and the heist is back on, with seemingly no authorities any the wiser.
How Do the Criminals Pull Off the Heist?
Like the real-life crime that the series adapts, The Helicopter Heist goes off without a hitch. Thanks to the team’s well-planned attack, they manage to chopper into the skies on a stolen helicopter, land on the roof of the bank, and blow open the reinforced vault doors with charged explosives. The gang use decoy explosives planted on nearby roads and heavy artillery weapons to deter the local police from interfering, forcing first responders to sit back and watch as the G4S building is plundered. After a few brief minutes, the cash is collected, and the gang return to the helicopter to make their daring escape. Though the actual heist is a massive success, rivaling the events one might see in a Fast & Furious movie, the crew make a series of mistakes on the back end that jeopardizes the integrity of the entire mission.
For starters, Axel fails to appropriately dispose of the chopper, which allows law enforcement to pull fingerprints and DNA materials after they recover it from a wooded area just a few miles out of town. Rami specifically left behind a bunch of blood from a hand injury he sustained during the heist, which causes him to panic when he learns that the authorities have located the still-intact helicopter. On Michel’s advice, Rami skips town to lay low, just in time to avoid being identified by Swedish authorities. To make matters worse, the Serbian Interior Minister recognizes the details of the heist based on information his office gathered on Filip Zovic, prompting him to send additional materials to the Stockholm police.
How Does ‘The Helicopter Heist’ End?
The mounting evidence allows police to locate and prosecute each member of the gang, despite their attempts at fleeing the country. During the following months, each of the key players is put on trial, with varying levels of success for the courts. Axel and Rami carry the brunt of the punishment, as their DNA evidence links them inextricably to the crime. Meanwhile, Michel and his associate Zoran manage to escape prison, as prosecutors could not directly discern any DNA or fingerprint records for them. In the final moments of The Helicopter Heist, we see that Rami, our central protagonist, has lost everything due to his involvement with the crime. His wife leaves him for another man, his children grow up without him and he spends years of his life languishing in prison, with nothing but his debts public and private to return to when his sentence concludes.
What Happened to the Real Life Gang?
Though The Helicopter Heist ends on a dour note, the true story is actually much more pleasant for the band of thieves. Swedish authorities really did manage to locate and charge seven men with crimes relating to the case, including two individuals who allegedly provided false alibis for the crew. Of those charged, three men were cleared of all charges, while four served fairly minute prison sentences of just one to eight years. Authorities could not confirm just how many people were truly involved in the heist, though some investigators believe that ten or more criminals attached to the robbery may have gotten away scot-free.
It makes perfect sense why the minds behind The Helicopter Heist would want to alter the conclusion. The show is centered on the motif that crime doesn’t pay, and that it’s better to live stressed as a righteous man than be caged like an animal and unable to watch your children grow. The creative liberties taken in the series allow the characters to take on more sympathetic and likable traits so that audiences identify with them, making the closing scenes of the show an emotional roller coaster.
Will There Be a Season 2 of ‘The Helicopter Heist’?
At this time, there has been no indication that Netflix or B-Reel Films are developing additional seasons of The Helicopter Heist. The eight-episode series perfectly displays the beginning, middle and end of the true story, meaning any additional episodes would need to either pivot to an anthology story with all new characters and settings, or create fictional adventures for the helicopter gang. Of course, it’s theoretically possible that the show performs so well on the Netflix platform that the streamer sees no other choice but to return with more episodes. Still, it’s far more likely that Netflix decides to partner with Stockholm’s B-Reel crew for additional projects if the show is a major success. Either way, we’ll certainly be on the lookout to see what this team does next, as The Helicopter Heist has completely enraptured audiences all over the globe.
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