Considering the sheer number of A-list stars involved in ‘Crime 101,’ it’s almost astonishing that the film barely managed to gross $70 million at the box office. With Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Monica Barbaro—a lineup featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest names and most promising talents—the movie’s commercial performance was undeniably disappointing. I confess I was part of the problem, having waited to watch ‘Crime 101’ on a streaming platform, which, in hindsight, might have been a mistake.
I say this because writer-director Bart Layton has crafted a rather stylish and thrilling action film that clearly draws significant inspiration from ‘Heat.’ The plot revolves around a cunning thief, Davis (played by Hemsworth), who exclusively targets wealthy and well-insured individuals, never resorting to violence and leaving no trace. He’s known as the ‘101 Thief’ because his crimes consistently occur near the iconic Highway 101 that traverses Los Angeles. Davis is conflicted about his criminal life, and things escalate when a rival thief seizes a job he planned, leaving a trail of violence in his wake. This forces local authorities to intensify their efforts to neutralize the legendary thief, leading to a cat-and-mouse chase between an emotionally conflicted criminal and a world-weary cop, portrayed by Ruffalo. Caught in the middle is a cruel and impulsive rival thief played by Keoghan, while Berry appears as an insurance broker ensnared in the center of this twisted triangle.
Sound familiar? If you’ve seen ‘Heat’ recently, or even just refreshed your memory of its plot summary, the striking comparisons will be evident. One might argue that this level of familiarity presents its own challenges, but I would contend that it’s only an issue if ‘Crime 101’ fails to build an entertaining story from these ‘Heat’-like premises. And indeed, it succeeds. The film features intertwining and merging subplots that isolate and then connect the main players, along with thrilling and chaotic car chases, intense, unpredictable fights, and an emotional core that binds everything together, humanizing each character and making them feel more real and well-rounded.
The bottom line is that ‘Crime 101’ is an elegant and polished crime thriller, with more successes than missteps. The cast is competent and well-matched, the action is effectively choreographed, and everything comes together to make Los Angeles feel like the center of the world once again, much in the same way ‘Heat’ achieved.
Is it perfect? Far from it. With a runtime of approximately 140 minutes, it’s a long film that would have benefited from some judicious trimming, ideally bringing it under the two-hour mark for a more balanced narrative flow. It’s not terribly unbalanced as it stands, but after 90 minutes, one begins to wonder if certain elements couldn’t have been cut or accelerated to maintain a tighter pace.
Similarly, despite the considerable leeway the film’s length provides, some of the more minor narrative arcs feel like mere filler rather than substantial plot points. This includes the romance between Davis and Barbaro’s Maya, or even the way Berry’s Sharon adapts to an increasingly unjust professional situation. While these elements hold a certain level of importance to the main story and thus constitute essential narration, they aren’t explored in a particularly entertaining or memorable way.
So, there are areas for improvement, but these shortcomings shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Layton has delivered a very good action film with ‘Crime 101.’ Once again, it’s stylish and captivating, and for the most part, you’ll be thoroughly entertained by this flashy heist thriller.