Here’s something to know about me: I can’t get enough of Gerard Butler’s Nick “Big Nick” O’Brien from the Den of Thieves franchise. Though I was late to the game with the first film, I didn’t make that same mistake with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and boy was I glad. Seeing Big Nick team up with O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie Wilson for an epic diamond heist in the French Riviera was easily one of my favorite experiences with a 2025 movie, and that’s especially true for one outrageously fun scene just before the halfway point.
Now that Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription – it was added to the streamer in March – I have to talk about the absurd party scene where Nick, Donnie, and the rest of their crew go all out at a nightclub. And I sure hope I’m not the only one so obsessed with this party sequence…
Okay, Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Is A Wild Ride From Start To Finish
As critics pointed out ahead of the film’s release, Den of Thieves: Pantera was too much fun and a wild ride from start to finish. Whether it was Donnie and his new crew pulling off that intense heist at an airport at the start of the film, Big Nick trying to get overseas to track the prolific thief, or the two teaming up for a great buddy action adventure, there was so much to love.
I’m not saying the first movie is tame in comparison (that Benihana scene is still one of the best in the crime genre), but this European-set heist film took everything that worked about its predecessor and turned it up a few notches. I mean, have you seen the way Gerard Butler smokes cigarettes in this? But as I said above, there’s one sequence that steals the whole show…
‘Big Nick’ Going Crazy In The Club Scene Is The Most Fun I’ve Had All Year
I love a good party scene. Always have and always will. And Den of Thieves 2: Pantera more than delivers with its epic, hilarious, and important night club sequence that involves Big Nick bonding with Donnie’s crew (and also trying to prove he’s not a cop). Drinking, smoking (both cigs and other illegal substances), dancing, fighting, romancing, you name it and it’s there. This was seriously one of those scenes I wish would never end.
The best thing I can compare it to is the “A Quiet Time” mission in Red Dead Redemption 2 where Arthur Morgan and Lenny go out for a few drinks at a saloon and then end up dancing, fighting, and getting into all kinds of mischief before the sun comes up. It’s a mission I look forward to with each replay, and Den of Thieves 2’s party sequence is the same category.
On Top Of That, It Also Sets Up The Rest Of The Movie (And Possibly The Rest Of The Franchise)
It’s not just fun and games, as the Den of Thieves 2: Pantera party sequence also pulls off a great deal of character development in a short amount of time. There’s the bonding between Nick and Donnie that furthers their evolving dynamic and makes the film’s ending all the more gratifying. But there’s also the building of the Pantera team as they build a level of trust that wasn’t there before and probably wouldn’t be there without a good night out.
I also think the sequence does a great job of setting up the franchise moving forward. We already know that Den of Thieves 3 is in the works, and it’s easy to see how the cause-and-effect aspect of this crucial scene will spill over into what comes next for Nick, Donnie, and the other major players involved because of it.
When Den of Thieves 3 does eventually come around, I hope that there’s a party sequence that comes anywhere near this night club scene. If that happens, we’re in for a real treat.