Hell or High Water: Former armed robber Noel 'Razor' Smith sheds light on the accuracy of heist scenes

The new thriller, starring Jeff Bridges, features a number of tense bank robbery scenes

"Don’t forget that robbery is one of those charges that, if you get caught, you’re going to get a bullet in your head or many years in prison," Noel 'Razor' Smith tells me. The South Londoner knows that all too well; after starting a life of crime at the age of 15, Smith committed over 200 robberies before being handed a 26-year jail sentence. Smith went on to use his time behind bars as an opportunity to rehabilitate and educate himself.

This week sees the release of Hell or High Water, an old-school heist thriller from director David Mackenzie (Starred Up) and writer Taylor Sheridan (Sicario). The film follows Howard brothers Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby (Chris Pine) who resort to robbing banks in order to save their family's ranch in Texas. For all of its many merits - there are plenty - the film contains a number of extremely tense bank robbery scenes; we spoke to Smith to see how his real-life experiences measure to these moments.

Hell or High Water depicts robbing banks as a compulsive addiction - if one brother decides they're going to do it, the other - despite initial hesitance - can’t say no when the opportunity presents itself. Is that a fair representation?

In England, that’s what we call the buzz. If you’re a bank robber, the money’s great, but the buzz is even better. It’s really seriously addictive - a lot of my friends in their 60s and 70s actually went back at it after many years because they couldn’t resist. Whether it’s the power, the control or both mixed into one, I don’t know, but if you’re robbing a bank, [in your own mind] you own that bank for the three or four minutes you’re in there; it’s yours. There’s a comedown after the actual robbery - that’s why you find quite a lot of the original bank robbers didn’t take Class A drugs.

Does the fear of getting caught factor into it?

If you rob banks, you rob banks for one of two reasons: one is that you need the money; the other is you’re an adrenaline junkie. It’s one of the few crimes in this country that you know when you commit [it], there’s a very good chance you’ll be killed by the police.

Did your personal fear dwindle over time?

If you’re sensible, you’ll never let the fear go because [it's] part of it. If you become blasé about what you’re doing, you could end up killed. A lot of bank robbers and armed robbers make mistakes - I certainly did; I robbed over 200 banks and I served 28 years in prison. If you let the fear go, it doesn’t become such fun. I know that sounds horrible and trite.

In the film, it seems that Foster's character enjoys the act more than Pine's - in your experience, are there always people who find it more satisfying than the other?

Don’t forget that robbery is one of those charges that, if you get caught, you’re going to get a bullet in your head or many years in prison. Eventually, you set on a group of people who you know are up for it. You have to trust them with your life and your liberty. I had a mate - he’s dead now - who'd leave the pub carrying a holdall with two shotguns and would go, “I’m just going to get some money.” He'd then go rob a building society or post office. What we'd want to do is go and do the robbery, get the money, be out in three minutes and then go off and spend it all.

You committed many armed robberies - did you have to learn to the fire the weapons you used?

An old armed robber I met never fired a gun in 40 years of robbing - he’d never had to; you'd have to menace people so much with your face and your voice that they’re too terrified to come near you. That way you'd never have to fire a shot. Robbery is a lot about acting - you have to make the people believe you would much rather put them in bodybags then take the money. I’ve actually robbed banks with just my hand in a paper bag.

Other than Hell or High Water, what are the best examples of bank robbery scenes in cinema?

My favourite example is the one in Heat - what happens in that scene is every robber's dream. British example is the film McVicar (1980). John McVicar was the only public enemy in this country. In the film, they do a wages robbery on a factory and the tension... you sit there and your heart's going!

Hell or High Water is in cinemas now