Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman arrives as one of the stranger — and surprisingly tender — true-life crime films of 2025.
Marketed as a crime-drama with a comic edge, the film stars Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester, a former U.S. Army Ranger who, in real life, became notorious for a string of rooftop McDonald’s robberies and for living undetected inside a Toys “R” Us after a prison escape.
The cast includes Kirsten Dunst as Leigh (the woman who becomes entwined with Manchester), LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, and Peter Dinklage in supporting roles.
The screenplay is by Derek Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn; the film runs roughly 2 hours and 6 minutes and was released in October 2025.
Roofman Age Rating
Roofman is rated R for language, violent content, and thematic material. The R rating means anyone under 17 needs an accompanying parent or guardian in theaters; the studio, press material, and digital storefronts list the film as R.
In simple terms, Roofman is aimed at adults and older teens who are comfortable with criminal behaviour shown realistically, some violent episodes, and emotional situations that can be upsetting or morally complicated.
Read on for a scene-by-scene content breakdown, guidance on who should — and should not — watch it, and tips for parents who want to prepare older teens.
Synopsis
Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum) is a charismatic but desperate man: a military veteran and father who turns to an elaborate crime spree, cutting holes in restaurant roofs to steal cash. After being arrested and later escaping custody, he hides out for months inside a large toy store, forging an unlikely relationship with Leigh (Kirsten Dunst) — a single-mother store employee — while trying to plan his next move. The film mixes moments of dark comedy and small-town grace with the unsettling reality of criminal violence and the effects of deception on other people’s lives.
Why the R rating fits — what to expect on screen
Roofman is not a splatter movie, but it is grounded in criminality and consequence. Expect:
Depictions of theft and escape: The heists are staged with procedural detail; rooftop entries and the consequences of the robberies are shown with a matter-of-fact tone.
Violent incidents and threats: There are scenes of intimidation and brief on-screen violence tied to the robberies and Manchester’s run from law enforcement. These are not gratuitous gore-fests, but they are stark enough to unsettle younger viewers.
Language: Frequent strong language — curses and rough talk among criminals and authorities — appears across the runtime.
Emotional and relational complexity: The film puts a lot of weight on the romance/relationship between Manchester and Leigh and on the moral fallout for the woman who becomes involved with a man living a double life. The emotional scenes carry real-world stakes (betrayal, fear, shame).
Content Breakdown — spoilers ahead (read carefully)
Setup — introduction to Manchester’s life and the first robberies (approx. first 25–35 minutes)
- What happens: We meet Manchester as a worn veteran and struggling dad; the film shows early robberies (methodical rooftop entries), his family pressures, and the first signs of his drift toward criminality.
- Content notes: Criminal planning, theft depiction, tense confrontations. Some scenes show injured staff or frightened customers as a result of robberies — material that may be distressing to younger teens. No explicit sexual content here, but the moral choices are stark.
Spiral — arrest, sentencing, and escape (mid-film)
- What happens: Manchester is arrested and later escapes custody (the escape itself is dramatized). The legal consequences, the shock to the community, and his internal rationalizations are explored.
- Content notes: Scenes of custody, a tense escape sequence, and implications for victims and family. Emotional intensity is high: you’ll see characters grappling with betrayal and fear. This is one of the film’s more intense stretches.
Hiding — life inside the toy store and the romance
- What happens: In the film’s surreal and oddly tender center, Manchester survives by living covertly in a large retail store. He slowly forms a bond with Leigh (Dunst), who is unaware of his true identity. These weeks-or months-long scenes alternate between quiet domesticity and the constant risk of discovery.
- Content notes: This section contains the movie’s emotional core — close, intimate scenes of companionship, quiet moments of parental longing, and the strain of living a lie. There are also sequences of petty violence (threats, near-discoveries) that keep the tension taut. While the romance is not explicit, it is emotionally complex — the power imbalance and deception are central and potentially upsetting.
Fallout — discovery, arrest, and moral reckoning
- What happens: The truth emerges; relationships break or reconfigure; Manchester faces consequences. The film moves toward closure, but not tidy moral answers.
- Content notes: Arrest scenes, emotional confrontations, the legal aftermath and human cost are shown in realistic terms. Expect difficult conversations to follow if you watch with a teen.
Who this Film is Suitable For
Good fit:
- Adults and older teens (roughly 17+) who can handle realistic criminal behavior, moral ambiguity and tense scenes of threat.
- Viewers who appreciate character studies where empathy and moral failing are explored without straightforward judgment.
- Fans of Derek Cianfrance’s previous work or of films that reframe true stories with emotional nuance.
Approach with caution / consider waiting:
- Children and younger teens (under 15) are unlikely to process the ethical ambiguity or to appreciate the tonal shift between bleakness and tenderness.
- Those sensitive to depictions of crime used as entertainment, or people with trauma related to theft, intimate deception, or arrests, may find some scenes triggering.
- Parents who prefer stories that clearly condemn the criminal act without sympathy for the perpetrator may be unsettled by the film’s humanizing approach.
Is Roofman “true”? Where fact meets movie
Roofman is rooted in the real story of Jeffrey Manchester — the man nicknamed “Roofman” for sawing into restaurant roofs during a years-long string of robberies and later hiding in a toy store after escaping custody. The filmmakers dramatize real events and compress time for narrative effect; interviews, archived reporting and the people involved shaped the screenplay. If you’re curious about factual differences, look for documentary pieces or original journalism that profile Manchester’s case — the film is best understood as a dramatized retelling, not a documentary.
Editor’s Verdict
Roofman is a thoughtfully made, oddball true-crime drama that leans on charm and human contradictions rather than pure spectacle. The R rating is appropriate: the film contains realistic depictions of crime, tense escape sequences, and emotionally fraught relationships that make it suitable for adults and older teens only. If you or your teen like character-driven stories rooted in baffling real events, Roofman is worth a watch — but come prepared for moral ambiguity, uneven tone between comedy and drama, and scenes that may require debriefing.