While aspects of writer/director Bart Layton’s crime thriller Crime 101, such as a solid performances from lead Chris Hemsworth and co-star Mark Ruffalo, elevate the film above the usual offerings within the genre, the piece still echoes other films that have handled similar subject matter a bit more adeptly.
The film follows a jewel thief named Davis (Hemsworth) as he perpetrates a string of heists along the 101 freeway that have, to date, befuddled authorities. One detective, Lou (played by Ruffalo), is convinced that the crimes committed along the freeway are connected and as he gets closer to catching the elusive thief, things grow even more complicated. When both thief and cop cross paths with insurance broker Sharon (Halle Berry), the tales of all three characters become even more intertwined and connected, especially when upstart fixer Ormon (Barry Keoghan) is brought on by Davis’s boss Money (Nick Nolte) to remove the now suspect Davis from the scene and the film becomes a race to see who will come out on top of the whole affair.
Working from his own script, director Bart Layton delivers an adequately engaging crime drama. But, like it’s title, seems as simplistic an approach to the story as could have been attempted. There is an inevitability hovering around all of the characters that makes what happens to them far less important to the viewer than would be in a more engaging film. Similarly, the conclusion of the film feels forgone in a way that, again, echoes other films of the same ilk that have handled the same type of story better than this one.
Overall, the film plays like a more simplistic and less intriguing rendition of Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) – even echoing that film’s poster design to a certain extent. Adapted from Don Winslow’s novella, the film feels as though there was a deeply heartfelt and intriguing work to be adapted therein, it just does not manifest successfully in the final product. Although both Hemsworth and Ruffalo are up to the task to carry the narrative weight of the film, the rather plodding pace keeps them from doing so. Once the film moves from narrative to action, things move a little more briskly, but at that point, interest may have started to wane for many.
Chris Hemsworth in “Crime 101.”
Although there are some interesting aspects that make Crime 101 worth taking a look at, the film is ultimately a less-than-stellar adaptation of a far more intriguing novella than the cinematic version turned out to be that unfortunately brings to mind more successful films from the genre that approached similar story arcs in a far more interesting way.
WHERE TO WATCH: (powered by JustWatch)
| Producer: | Bart Layton, Chris Hemsworth, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Shane Salerno, Dimitri Doganis, Derrin Schlesinger, Benjamin Grayson |
| Release Date: | February 13, 2026 |
| Running Time: | 140 minutes |
| Starring: | Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, Nick Nolte, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Tate Donovan, Paul Adelstein, Jennifer Jason Leigh |
| Writer: | Bart Layton |
| MPAA Rating: | R (for language throughout, some violence and sexual material/nudity) |
| Director: | Bart Layton |
| Distributor: | Amazon MGM Studios |
| External Info: | OFFICIAL SITE / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / #Crime101 |
