Coin Heist 2017

Crime

Family

Runtime

97 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Emily Hagins

Made by

Adaptive Studios

Test your knowledge of Coin Heist with our quiz!

Coin Heist Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Coin Heist (2017). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

At Dennington Prep, four initially non-connected students—Alice Drake, Jason Hodges, Dakota Cunningham, and Benny—band together to recover some of the $10 million that was embezzled from the school’s coffers. Alice, a skilled hacker, approaches Jason, the headmaster’s son accused of mishandling the funds, with a bold plan to press counterfeit-like coins: their own slightly altered Michigan state quarters, each worth $5,000. The idea blossoms after a class trip to the Philadelphia Mint. They recruit mechanical help from Benny, a football scholarship student who works in his uncle’s garage, and Dakota, Jason’s bossy ex-girlfriend who is incredibly organized.

Dakota gets the team into the Mint by first sweet-talking the guards and posing as a reporter to distract the manager. Alice hacks the Mint’s security system, while the group figures out how to create the altered die. Everything seems to be falling into place until a major rift tests their resolve and teamwork. They are forced to carry on when Alice hacks the Mint’s website, granting them access on Saturday—the night of the formal—to mint the coins. Jason and Dakota prepare to perform the music, while Alice and Benny head to the mint to produce the quarters. A double glitch occurs, producing ten times the amount they intended, and the plan to cancel the real maintenance truck is skipped. Jason and Dakota rally to support one another despite the chaos.

The trio’s audacious heist nearly slips away unnoticed, but their art teacher uncovers the scheme. They are brought before the school board president, who turns out to be the person responsible for the missing funds. Facing a potential moral and legal bind, the students offer the valuable coins in exchange for the return of the embezzled money to the endowment and immunity from punishment. The revelation redefines loyalties and consequences within the school’s community.

In the closing moments, Dakota hints at a new relationship with Benny, and Jason contemplates a similar path with Alice, albeit with him continuing life at a normal high school. The capstone of their high-stakes, high-school caper leaves a lingering question about trust, consequence, and the cost of ambition.

Coin Heist Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Coin Heist (2017) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Planning to recover embezzled funds

At Dennington Prep, four students decide to band together to recover the school's embezzled funds. They hatch a plan to mint their own slightly altered Michigan state quarters, each worth about $5,000, as a means to reclaim the missing money. Alice, Jason, Dakota, and Benny take on distinct roles to pull off the scheme.

Before the class trip to Philadelphia Mint Dennington Prep

Class trip sparks the mint idea

During a class trip to the Philadelphia Mint, the idea of using altered coins to reclaim the funds solidifies. The group realizes the Mint's security could be exploited and that they would need precise timing to pull it off. The trip marks the turning point from talk to plan.

During class trip to Philadelphia Mint Philadelphia Mint

Dakota recruits and assigns roles

Dakota takes charge of recruiting the team and securing access by posing as a reporter to distract guards. The group assigns roles: Alice as hacker, Benny in charge of the mechanical side, and Jason as the go-between with the school's administration. Jason's father is the headmaster, which adds personal risk to their plan.

Leading up to the Mint infiltration Dennington Prep planning room

Infiltration begins: entering the Mint

Dakota uses her cover as a reporter to gain entry into the Philadelphia Mint while the others prepare the operation. Inside, Alice begins hacking the Mint's security system to open the digital doors for their plan. Benny and the crew start coordinating the physical steps to mint their coins.

Evening of the Mint infiltration Philadelphia Mint

Crafting the altered dies

Benny works with his uncle in a garage to design a slightly altered die for minting. The group maps out the mechanical steps needed to produce the coins without triggering alarms. They believe the plan is solid.

Pre-heist prep night Benny's uncle's garage

The plan buckles under pressure

As the plan advances, the group experiences a big falling out, jeopardizing their cooperation. Tensions flare over loyalty, risk, and the odds of getting away with embezzled funds. They push forward despite the rift.

During the night before the minting window Philadelphia Mint planning area

The formal window opens: minting window

Alice hacks Mint's website to reveal a window: Saturday night of the school formal is their best chance. Jason and Dakota prep the performance they would use as cover, while Alice and Benny head for the Mint to begin minting. The plan hinges on timing and distractions.

Saturday night, during the school formal Philadelphia Mint

Minting begins and the glitch hits

The team starts minting coins, but a double glitch causes them to produce ten times the intended quantity. They also fail to cancel the real maintenance truck schedule, increasing the risk of discovery. Jason and Dakota come to their aid when issues arise, trying to cover their tracks.

During the Minting window on Saturday night Philadelphia Mint

Discovery by the art teacher

Back at Dennington Prep, the art teacher uncovers the heist, bringing the operation into the open. The students are confronted with consequences far beyond their original plan. The revelation shifts the mood from elation to fear of punishment.

Soon after Minting night Dennington Prep

Confrontation with the school authorities

The students are brought before the president of the school board, who turns out to be the culprit behind the missing $10 million. They offer the valuable coins to secure immunity and restore the endowment. The board member agrees to a deal that returns the funds.

Immediately after the discovery School board meeting room

Return of funds and immunity

The deal requires returning the $10 million to the school's endowment, and the students receive immunity for their actions. The embezzled funds are secured and the school begins to heal, though the students face the consequences of their choices. The plan succeeds in restoring the endowment with some strings attached.

Following the confrontation Dennington Prep

Finale: new relationships and futures

Dakota and Benny decide to pursue a relationship, while Jason and Alice consider a relationship as well, with Jason remaining at a normal high school. The quartet ends their adventure with mixed emotions and a cautious sense of what comes next. The school and the friends move forward, with lessons learned.

At the end of the film Dennington Prep

Coin Heist Characters

Explore all characters from Coin Heist (2017). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Alice Drake (Alexis G. Zall)

Alice is a skilled hacker who catalyzes the plan by proposing the altered coins. Her technical prowess drives the operation, hacking into the mint's security to enable the scheme. She experiences a significant falling-out with the group, testing loyalties and forcing them to push through. Her commitment is tested as the plan moves from idea to risky execution.

🧠 Hacker 🔧 Tech-savvy 🎯 Strategist

Jason Hodges (Alex Saxon)

Jason is the son of the headmaster and the central organizer of the operation. Accused of mishandling funds, he sees the heist as a way to safeguard the school’s endowment and prove his loyalty. He coordinates with Alice, Dakota, and Benny, navigating pressure from authority while trying to keep the team focused. His leadership is tested by risk, ethics, and personal stakes.

🧭 Leader 🧠 Calculated 🤝 Collaborative

Dakota Cunningham (Sasha Pieterse)

Dakota is Jason’s bossy ex-girlfriend and is incredibly organized. She orchestrates the entry to the Mint and manages the plan's logistics with relentless efficiency. Her methodical mindset keeps the operation on track, even as her bold approach creates friction. By the end, she forms a tentative personal connection with Benny, suggesting a shift in dynamics.

🗂️ Organizer 🧭 Strategic 💬 Driven

Benny (Jay Walker)

Benny is a football scholarship student who helps in his uncle's garage, lending practical mechanical know-how to the plan. He contributes hands-on skills that translate theory into a tangible mechanism for the heist. Loyal to the group, he also becomes a focal point for budding relationships, particularly with Dakota by the film’s end.

🛠️ Mechanic 💪 Loyal 🚗 Practical

Coin Heist Settings

Learn where and when Coin Heist (2017) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Contemporary (late 2010s)

The story unfolds in present-day high school life with modern technology and contemporary security. It centers on a class trip to the mint and a formal night that serves as cover for the plan. The embezzlement of funds from the school coffers anchors the stakes, rooting the events in a near-future-feeling, real-world context.

Location

Dennington Prep, Philadelphia Mint

Dennington Prep provides the central setting where the four students hatch their plan. The Philadelphia Mint visit becomes the spark that leads to their audacious scheme to mint altered coins. The mint and the school environment frame the tension between ambition, secrecy, and the consequences that follow.

🏫 School 🏛 Mint

Coin Heist Themes

Discover the main themes in Coin Heist (2017). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

⚖️

Ethics

Ethics and legality are tested as the students pursue a plan to divert funds from the school endowment. The scheme relies on deception, hacking, and counterfeit coins, blurring the line between right and wrong. The characters wrestle with whether ends justify the means, and the pursuit of justice becomes entangled with personal risk. In the end, they attempt to secure immunity by returning the coins to the endowment.

🤝

Teamwork

The four youths bring different skills to the table—hacking, mechanics, organization, and leadership—creating a blended teamwork dynamic. Trust and communication drive their collaboration, even as tensions rise. Internal conflicts threaten the plan, testing loyalty and resolve. Despite the friction, their coordinated effort is essential to execute the heist and navigate the fallout.

🕵️

Deception and Consequences

Deception propels the plot as the team manipulates security, misleads guards, and hides their actions. The stakes escalate when the art teacher uncovers the scheme, exposing cracks in their plan. The story emphasizes that secrets bear a cost, leading to exposure and accountability. The conclusion suggests that the characters must confront the consequences of their choices.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Explore the mobile app

Coin Heist Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Coin Heist (2017). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the polished halls of Dennington Prep, a looming financial crisis threatens to unravel the school’s reputation and future. The atmosphere crackles with the pressure of elite expectations, yet beneath the polished veneer lies the restless energy of a generation accustomed to turning obstacles into daring opportunities. The film’s tone balances the sleek aesthetic of a privileged academy with the gritty, improvisational spirit of a heist‑ready teenage crew, inviting viewers into a world where ambition collides with youthful rebellion.

At the heart of the story are four distinct students who find themselves unexpectedly linked by circumstance. Alice is the quiet genius of the computer lab, her talent for hacking serving as the group’s invisible edge. Jason, the headmaster’s son, carries the weight of family expectations while yearning for a chance to prove himself beyond his privileged name. Benny brings a practical, hands‑on skill set from his football scholarship and an unexpected knack for mechanics, grounding the team’s more elaborate ideas. Dakota, Jason’s former girlfriend, is the organizational powerhouse, her confidence and persuasive charm often steering the group’s direction.

Together they concoct an audacious scheme to rescue their school’s finances, inspired by a recent class trip to the historic Philadelphia Mint. The plan hinges on turning an iconic symbol of American value into a tool for their cause, a concept that feels both wildly inventive and plausibly rooted in teenage ingenuity. As they pool their divergent talents, the tension between their personal ambitions and collective goal creates a current of playful suspense, hinting at both comedic mishaps and moments of genuine teamwork.

The film thrives on the chemistry of its young protagonists, exploring how friendship, rivalry, and the desire for redemption can fuse into a bold, if reckless, venture. With a sleek, contemporary visual style and a soundtrack that echoes the pulse of both high school life and caper adventure, the story promises a captivating blend of humor, heart, and the thrill of a meticulously plotted gamble.

Can’t find your movie? Request a summary here.

Movies with Similar Twists and Themes

Uncover films that echo the narrative beats, emotional arcs, or dramatic twists of the one you're exploring. These recommendations are handpicked based on story depth, thematic resonance, and spoiler-worthy moments — perfect for fans who crave more of the same intrigue.