Something to enjoy about the crime thrillers made by Michael Mann and William Friedkin, such as Heat, Thief, Collateral, and To Live and Die in L.A., is knowing that these films are held in such high regard that they, at this point, inspire other filmmakers. That doesn’t always lead to the best results, despite the effort to try and replicate the feel of some of these movies (Den of Thieves comes to mind), however, in the case of something like Crime 101, there’s something to appreciate about the earnest approach to building a sturdy crime film that features movie star energy and a sense of minimalism when it comes to trying to pull it off. This picture may not ascend to the level of greatness offered by the films it has been influenced by, but it’s an attempt I appreciated nonetheless.
Chris Hemsworth stars as Mike Davis, a career criminal who plans elaborate heists that take place near the 101 freeway to allow for an easy getaway. The scores are generally small enough not to become a priority for the cops, and Mike avoids violence at all costs to prevent potential collateral damage. Mark Ruffalo is Det. Lou Lubesnick, a slobbish detective who has had a bad go of it, but feels he may have a lead for finally catching this 101 robber. Halle Berry is Sharon Coombs, an insurance broker who becomes the intersection point between Mike and the detective for various reasons. And then you have a wild card thief, Ormon, played by Barry Keoghan, who has been sent out by Mike’s handler, Money (Nick Nolte), to get his hands dirtier than Mike ever would. With all of these players on the board, a major heist may become far more complicated than anticipated.
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Writer/director Bart Layton adapted Crime 101 from a book by crime novelist Don Winslow. Layton previously worked on the superb documentary The Imposter as well as the docudrama heist film American Animals (also featuring Keoghan). That makes this film his first pure feature-length fictional feature, while still keeping him in the realm of thieves and con artists. I’ve appreciated Layton’s work in the past, and this film is no different. While the story takes a few ambitious swings that ultimately hold it back from entering top-tier territory, there’s a lot to like about the layering of different storylines, what the actors bring to their roles, and the technical aspects at play.
Speaking to that last point, for an English filmmaker, Layton has a great read on how to shoot Los Angeles. While the film is not so much invested in detailing the various locations we visit, both the way the action is staged and the choices for matching characters to their environments speak to a good amount of research in incorporating the city in such key ways. Being someone who knows the city quite well, having a thief who relies on a specific part of LA to commit his crimes allows for dynamic chase sequences that rarely feel like cheats, bringing the character from point A to B.
Regarding the characters in play, for a film that has other themes on its mind beyond “honor among thieves” and morality, the choices made regarding class are reflected by how these characters dress and present themselves, along with just the notion of having key players stationed in Santa Monica, Malibu, or downtown, as opposed to the east side near Silverlake, Los Feliz or even Burbank. Again, there’s a grasp of what matters in reflecting who these people are and what is driving them.
Speaking of, Hemsworth makes for a cool and collected criminal. While incredibly stoic and masking so much of his real identity that I wish his American accent was just a character, and he could use his natural Australian voice when not on the clock, I appreciated what was being delivered. He’s supposed to be a rock, but the instant violence actually occurs outside of his control, he wavers in a way that sets so much in motion, which is a solid way to get this plot rolling. On top of that, he makes for a convincing wheelman, regardless of whatever stunt performers were used during the big chase scenes.
Meanwhile, fellow Avenger Mark Ruffalo is almost leaning on “sad dad cop” to the point of parody in a role like this until there’s a shift. As we start, the guy is out of shape, rocking the heaviest 5 o’clock shadow + mustache I’ve seen in some time, and drives a real beater of a car. However, once he regains his interest in taking down a criminal and his charm to get the job done, it takes one shave, and the guy pulls completely out of this funk. Fortunately, Ruffalo is just that good of an actor that it feels like proper character development.
Keoghan’s work is that of a committed performer who knows how to add fun to a character who is otherwise just the de facto villain of the piece. He’s young and impulsive, and while there’s not much else to Ormon, his twitchiness says plenty about him. Other performers include Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tate Donovan, who all slide naturally into the supporting character parts they’ve been assigned to.
The real standout performance is Halle Berry, who once again shows just how valuable she can be when put in the right position to deliver. In recent years, while still giving her all largely in B-movie genre efforts, it’s been a shame not to see her get to command the screen in meatier features (though she’s quite effective in her directorial debut, Bruised). Here, even as the third lead, she entirely inhabits the role of a put-upon broker who’s been promised to become a partner at her firm, but is constantly being held back and looked down upon for any number of typical unfair reasons. It allows us to understand why she’d become morally flexible yet hesitant to make a bold move like that. It also leads to a standout sequence where she delivers a monologue that any number of women would just love to be able watch occur in real life, let alone deliver themselves.
As a heist movie, Crime 101 doesn’t have a ton of new tricks up its sleeves. Yes, I respect the machinations to get all the characters in place, and there’s enough introspection to make me prefer this Heat-like tribute over the aforementioned meathead attempt featuring Gerard Butler. With all of that in mind, this film is 140 minutes with credits and really stretches out its material enough to make me question what could have been paired down to get to the point quicker. On top of that, I wish the ending had a bit more bite than it ultimately does.
These opinions aside, as an adult thriller with big stars and production value to match, I do respect what Crime 101 is going for. It is a film that made many considerations about what it wanted to get across and how to deliver excitement in ways that felt unique. The performances are committed, and the location work is quite strong. Add to that a solid, propulsive score from Blanck Mass, and you have a film that works well enough for me not just to wish I put on one of its predecessors instead.
Crime 101 opens in theaters on February 13, 2026.
