Heat is a 1995 American
crime film written, produced and directed by
Michael Mann, and starring
Robert De Niro,
Al Pacino, and
Val Kilmer. The film was released in the United States on December 15, 1995. De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief, while Pacino plays Lt. Vincent Hanna, a veteran
L.A.P.D. robbery-homicide detective tracking down McCauley's crew. The central conflict is based on the experiences of former
Chicago police officer
Chuck Adamson and his pursuit in the 1960s of a criminal named McCauley, after whom De Niro's character is named.