It may or may not be too early make such a claim, but Crime 101 has already made my top five best films of the year. We, the people, have needed another LA classic film, and Crime 101 delivers. Triggering memories of such legendary Los Angeles-based titles as LA Confidential and Heat, the film takes high-end criminality across the 101 in a slow-burning crime thriller that impresses throughout.
Set in LA with all its opulence, the story follows a quiet, meticulous man named Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth). Not your average thief, Mike only does high-end jobs where he knows the site front to back and can accurately weigh the risk against the reward. Hitting only targets along U.S. Highway 101, Lou (Mark Ruffalo), a police officer, starts to notice a pattern: big money, big jewels, and nobody gets hurt. With his numbers and reputation fading at the precinct, Lou has to find a way to wrap up the case before he loses respect and his job.
Davis only reported to one person, Money (Nick Nolte), who assigns the targets. After a jewelry heist goes awry, he returns to Money and voices his displeasure with his next hit: The Santa Barbara Job. Lacking confidence in his ability to finish the job, Money gives the job to an unseasoned hire. The youngster, who looks like an evil Tye Sheridan, is named Ormon (Barry Keoghan) and takes the job, looking to impress. It didn’t take long to realize how little experience he had after the next job ran anything but smoothly.
The story comes from director Bart Layton, the man responsible for 2018’s American Animals. The film was authentically LA, showing everything from glistening beach view apartments and nice scars to skid row and the city’s skyline. Showing the city in its fullness only added to the weight of the story. The palm trees and “pretty things” painted a backdrop of a place where everybody’s just trying to make it – a notion that rang true for all parties involved. Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella, the film ran the full gamut: perfect score, amazing cast, and a story interesting enough to demand attention.
This love letter to LA wouldn’t be complete without a decisive leading lady. Like the Ashley Judds and Kim Bassingers of before, this neo-noir project boasts “the” Halle Berry. Monica Barbaro plays a woman of interest to Mike named Maya. Now, Monica Barbaro is no Halle Berry, but her character was necessary, and her performance was sufficient. Berry played Sharon Colvin, a hard-working insurance agent who tends to high-profile clients and insures expensive possessions like diamonds and art. She built everything she has from hard work and goal-setting. A combination of yoga and motivational soundbites keeps her going throughout the day. She appears to have it all, except for her inability to read subtext. Her goal of making partner was about seven years past its course, and she failed to discern the signs from her superiors. She was intelligent, but an easy mark for Mike, needing nothing more than a bit of convincing to buy into his plan.
The film isn’t overambitious in its aim. It tells a great crime story without a superfluous flow of action. In fact, if you were looking for nonstop action, this may disappoint you. This is a slow burn. Sitting just under 2.5 hours, Layton and Co. do an excellent job of distributing clues as the story unfolds. You learn as you go, enabling the viewer to focus on details and not “seconds”.
Armed with a motorbike and a pink jacket, Evil Ty… Ahem, Barry Keoghan did an excellent job as a noob trying to impress the “big guys”. After a humbling reminder that he didn’t have the stomach for living up to his father’s reputation, Ormon (Keoghan) is dead set on proving everyone wrong, even when he’s woefully unprepared for the Santa Barbara job. Although wet behind the ears, he keeps a cool demeanor throughout the film and excels at the simple jobs. When things get complicated, you see his youth shine bright like a flashlight in a dark room.
Projects can get lost when they focus too much on a specific casting. For example, I have a review of a limited series coming up next month, and they made the mistake of focusing too much on Kerri Washington. In an eight-episode series, oversaturating the first three is too big a risk if you’re hoping to retain an audience. In the same manner, concentrating too heavily on Hemsworth or Berry would’ve dragged this down. Even though Hemsworth was the lead man, I didn’t get sick of him. The writing for him was great and made him easy to follow. For a professional thief who enjoys the spoils of money, he kept a somewhat low profile in a blacked-out Chrysler 300. But after he switched to a Dodge Challenger, I started to wonder if this was gonna be sponsored by Stellantis (thankfully, I was wrong). Almost an anti-hero, you’ll find yourself supporting him before long, thanks to his growth and performance.
Crime 101 gets a 9 out of 10. It’s a slow burn in the best way. I can’t say enough about the cast. With established faces like Corey Hawkins and Barry Keoghan, it was great to find a host of new actors to follow. The aforementioned Barbaro, along with Payman Maadi, Peter Banifaz, and Crosby Fitzgerald, are now on my radar. This is worth seeing in theaters this weekend. The “R” rating is for the violence and language. The love story doesn’t go deep, and the sex scene is brief.
I had zero expectations going into this, so there wouldn’t be disappointment. Instead, I left the theatre fulfilled and impressed. Apologies, Mr. Layton. I was unfamiliar with your game.
Crime 101 premieres Friday, Feb. 13.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 2 hrs 19 minutes
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: February 13, 2026