Crime 101 (Photo – Merrick Morton/Amazon MGM Studios
In the movies, probably more than in any other art form, selling something often depends on how closely the proposed venture resembles something that has already been successful.
Crime 101
Directed by Bart Layton – 2026
Reviewed by Garrett Rowlan
And while I wasn’t a fly on the wall when Crime 101 was being pitched, I can’t help but think that Heat, the De Niro–Pacino L.A. caper from 1990, was mentioned once or twice.
Fast cars, glitzy locations, sleazy characters, beachfront apartment with high views, and so forth, Crime 101 had the Heat cookie-cutter firmly in hand before the cameras rolled
Same idea: a weary, professional crook played by Chris Hemsworth plans a big score as a detective, played by Mark Ruffalo (not a finger-snapping slickster à la Pacino but a disheveled, unshaven bloodhound), stays close behind in this cop-and-mouse thriller. Another thief, played by a weaselly Barry Keoghan, wants to shoehorn himself into the score. Add Halle Berry to the mix as a 53-year-old high-end real estate agent whose stalled career path leads her to consider an alternate road to riches. Monica Barbaro, who was Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown, sings a different tune here as Hemsworth’s love interest.
Several shots duplicated those in Heat and like that earlier film much pleasure can be had in identifying LA landmarks, particularly in downtown and Beverly Hills.
Crime 101 does what it sets out to do; that is, it delivers the thrills and chills appropriate to the genre. And while it doesn’t have the tough-mindedness of Heat, and certain aspects of the ending are head-scratchers, I still found the movie to be a solid piece of entertainment.
> Playing at Regal Paseo, IPIC Theaters, Regal Edwards Alhambra Renaissance, AMC Atlantic Times Square 14,AMC Santa Anita 16Regal UA La Canada, and LOOK Dine-In Cinemas.
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