Writer/director Bart Layton stomps the accelerator down in L.A. thriller Crime 101. The script by Don Winslow is based on his 2020 novella. Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is a meticulous jewel thief who is losing his nerve. He has robbed jewel couriers up and down the 101 highway. He never strays far from the 101 and never hurts anyone during a heist. When he’s shot at during a theft, the bullet grazes his skull and rattles him to the core. He decides to walk away after one last job. Lou (Mark Ruffalo) is an LAPD detective who is more interested in solving crimes than in ensuring his division meets its numbers. He develops an unpopular theory about the “101 thief” that is dismissed by his boss, Captain Stewart (Matthew Del Negro), and by his partner, Tillman (Corey Hawkins).
Davis tells his handler, known only as Money (a fading, but still lively Nick Nolte), that he won’t do the next job. Instead, he finds an insurance broker named Sharon (Halle Berry) and offers her a cut if she’ll help him rob one of her clients, a smarmy billionaire named Monroe (Tate Donovan). His timing is good, as Sharon has recently been passed over for a partner position she was promised. Money, in the meantime, hires a disorganized, violent punk named Ormon (Barry Keoghan) not only to do the job that Davis passed on, but to follow him, find out what he’s planning, then rob him. With the three leads disillusioned about their lives, the stage is set for the big heist, and sudden reversals of fortune will dictate the outcome. The rules get fuzzy, and anything can happen.
“…hires a disorganized, violent punk named Ormon not only to do the job that Davis passed on, but to follow him, find out what he’s planning…”
Crime 101 is loaded with familiar faces. We get an all too brief appearance from Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lou’s wife, Angie. It’s fun to see Ruffalo and Hemsworth playing off each other, not as their MCU roles of Thor and Hulk. Hemsworth is playing against type as the introverted thief. Monica Barbaro is Davis’s love interest, Maya. Berry is solid as a rock, with a powerful screen presence, and her appearance here is a reminder of how good she is. There were two climactic beats in the screening I attended where the audience cheered for her. Keoghan is a fine Irish actor who needs to diversify. He seems to be stuck in “sniveling, mumbling nuisance” roles. Dusting off 85-year-old Nolte for a cameo is a lovely surprise. Nolte has gone from “1992 sexiest man alive” to “2026 man barely alive,” but he still has acting chops.
The film is an old-school cops-and-robbers movie, like Heat or L.A. Confidential, with flawed characters in complex scenarios. The characters are also older, which is a gratifying change of pace. There are layers of intricate moving parts, which mostly work well, but some bits feel bolted on and less authentic. The car chases are top-notch, featuring vintage American muscle, as well as updated beasts like the Dodge Challenger. These are reminiscent of famous car scenes in films like Bullitt, Baby Driver, Drive, and The French Connection. Cars are also mentioned often in the dialogue, and serve as a gauge of success. Another dazzling aspect is cinematographer Erik Wilson’s dynamic visuals.
There is sizzle from the opening flying scene of L.A. rotating in frame, to cameras mounted in unusual angles. In the end, Layton and Winslow fail to neatly tie up all the threads, but the outcome finds each of our leads in an appropriate denouement. Crime 101 will get your pulse pounding on a wild ride.
"…an old-school cops-and-robbers movie, like Heat or L.A. Confidential..."
