Film Review – Crime 101

February 17th, 2026 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Time is one of the major factors running all throughout Crime 101 (2026). Whether it involves characters racing against time to pull off a major heist, regretting all the time that has passed them with little to show for it, or making the most of the time they have left, everyone feels the pressure mounting on their shoulders. What they choose to do about it is what lies at the heart of the film. This is a crime picture that follows a familiar pattern but has something else on its mind entirely. What it offers maybe a little more thought provoking than what we would be expecting from the genre. I say this as a compliment. The ambition and intelligence on display make this more rewarding than another run-of-the-mill thriller.

Surface level readings will immediately compare this to Michael Mann’s masterpiece, Heat (1995). A lot of the same ingredients are present here. We have smart criminals that cover every detail of their job, never jumping into a heist without an escape plan. We also get the cops whose dedication to solve the case and catch the crooks cause their personal lives to fall into disarray. Writer/director Bart Layton (adapting Don Winslow’s novella) adds shades of Drive (2011) and Bullitt (1968), the latter of which is specifically mentioned. One recurring theme of crime thrillers and film noirs are that the characters are routinely defined by their criminality – they don’t know how to be anything else. In the case of Crime 101, the characters commit felonies as a means to an end. They desperately want to break out of their assigned roles, no matter how hopeless that might be.

The narrative is broken into three separate points of view. The first is Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth) a career thief who is so good at his work that he never uses violence during his robberies. His string of heists along the 101 freeway around Los Angeles catches the attention of authorities, namely Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo). Lou has become so obsessed with catching the thief that it draws the ire from the rest of his department, who want him to close the case even if it means cutting corners to do so. The third POV character is Sharon Combs (Halle Berry) an insurance broker whose company covers the clients whom Mike has stolen from. Sharon has been at her job for years and is slowly coming to the realization that the upper brass will not promote her. The editing (Julian Hart, Jacob Secher Schulsinger) draws the parallels between Mike, Lou, and Sharon right away. An early scene jumps between the three of them as they prepare for their day, highlighting how their lives are stuck in a similar place despite their different backgrounds.

One of the main accomplishments of the writing/direction is how much focus is put on character development. Those expecting a cops vs. robbers shoot ‘em up type film might be surprised (or let down) at the amount of dialogue and character building. Chris Hemsworth is excellent as Mike. He fits the look of the big, brooding thief, but he adds dimension and nuance to the performance. Mike is uncomfortable in social settings, so much so that when the chance for a regular life with love interest Maya (Monica Barbaro) springs up, he can’t bring himself to be vulnerable or even look her in the eye. Mark Ruffalo plays Lou as a person beaten down by life. He has shaggy grey hair, terrible posture, a messy home, and is in the midst of a divorce from his wife (an underused Jennifer Jason Leigh). He reminds me a lot of Columbo-era Peter Falk. And yet, Lou dives into his pursuit of Mike as though it is the last good thing he can do. As for Halle Berry, she inhabits Sharon with years’ worth of frustration. She is a hard worker and tries to play by the rules but discovers that she is playing a game that is rigged against her. One of the most memorable scenes features Sharon finally letting loose with fire and brimstone against those that have been weighing her down.

But it isn’t just the central three that makes Crime 101 work. The supporting players all deliver shining moments. Corey Hawkins plays Tillman, Lou’s younger partner. Tillman grows impatient with Lou’s more gut-instinct approach to investigation, creating friction and further stress. Nick Nolte shows up as Money, a crime boss who also sets up the jobs for Mike. Although it is never said out loud, we get a sense that there is a long history between the two, as though Money picked Mike up as a kid and groomed him to become a criminal. This is further suggested once we meet Ormon (Barry Keoghan), who is another one of Money’s underlings. Ormon is the complete opposite of Mike. Where Mike is calculating and precise, Ormon is a loose cannon. He is impulsive, violent, and brash – he wears bright colored clothing and runs around town on a motorcycle, attracting all kinds of attention. Keoghan plays Ormon like a sociopath – willing to kill anyone to get the job done. He is the unknown variable that can turn everyone’s lives into chaos.

The film might not be stuffed with wall-to-wall action, but there are several set pieces that keep us on the edge of our seats. Layton’s direction puts us right into the thick of things without ever spelling everything out for us. An opening scene, where Mike goes through an elaborate set of moves to rob a jewel courier, is complex in its design. But that is what makes it so captivating – it forces us to keep up. One piece leads to another that leads to another. It is only until the scene ends that we understand how everything fits. Another sequence, in which Mike and Orman play a game of cat and mouse throughout the streets of L.A., has the same slow-burn suspense of Walter Hill’s The Driver (1978). It isn’t a high-speed chase like the one in The French Connection (1971), but more of a stalking, creeping-around-corners pursuit. Where other crime dramas use large scale shootouts, big explosions, and excessive violence as a point of emphasis, Crime 101has its characters refrain from firing their guns until there is absolutely no other option. 

The cinematography (Erik Wilson), production design (Scott Dougan), and score (Blanck Mass) capture L.A. as a neon-tinged, gritty world that comes to life at night. This isn’t anything new – we’ve seen the city depicted this way from Double Indemnity (1944) to Den of Thieves (2018) and everything in between. What makes this stand out is how much of the surrounding environment play into the texture, tone and atmosphere. Art galleries, beachfront apartments, late night taco trucks, yoga studios, classy restaurants, fancy hotels, parking garages, side streets and alleyways, and so on. L.A. is very much a living, breathing character. I don’t know if the landmarks and freeways are arranged correctly in terms of geography (maybe L.A. residents can help us out with that), but I appreciated the variety of the locales. 

If there is one misstep, it is with the third act. Mike, Lou, and Sharon are all reaching one goal: A better life for themselves. This can mean anything, whether it’s personal fulfillment, companionship, a sense of purpose, etc. The writing slightly mishandles this, attaching the characters’ happiness with materialism. Sharon has been waiting for a promotion for years, Mike wants to earn enough money (he never specifies the amount) to finally break clean from being a thief, and Lou wants to pick up the pieces of his life and start brand new – whether that means moving to a nicer apartment or getting that car he’s always dreamed of. Of course, these goals are metaphors for each character’s own self-worth, but the narrative never quite articulates that well enough. Would Mike be better off after one more job? Would Sharon be happier in a higher position knowing that she’s financially stable already? And would taking yoga classes and getting a muscle car really make Lou feel better about himself? It may not have been the film’s intention, but I couldn’t shake the notion that these characters juxtapose wealth and happiness a little too closely. Maybe that’s the point?

Crime 101 is a stellar picture. It takes a well-known set up and includes some interesting ideas, creating something that feels fresh and new. I was fascinated by each of the characters: their stories, their beliefs, and the compromises they make throughout. The film isn’t just interested in the heists, car chases, and shootouts, but in the ramifications of those events on everyone involved. People make hard decisions and must face the consequences of them. Crime dramas are a dime a dozen, but this one earns its place as one of the best of recent memory.

Barry Keoghan, Bart Layton, Blanck Mass, Bullitt, Chris Hemsworth, Columbo, Corey Hawkins, Crime 101, Den of Thieves, Don Winslow, Double Indemnity, Drive, Erik Wilson, Featured, Halle Berry, Heat, Jacob Secher Schulsinger, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julian Hart, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Mann, Monica Barbaro, Nick Nolte, Peter Falk, Scott Dougan, The Driver, The French Connection, Walter Hill