People who grow up in chaos crave order. Jewel robber Mike’s (Chris Hemsworth) adherence to order has gotten him rich, with meticulous heist planning across the California portion of the 101 freeway. His procedure is a nonviolent one which makes it hard to identify who he is, or when he’ll strike next. However, the propensity for thieving along the 101 has created a pattern, and the prickly but seasoned LAPD detective Lou (Mark Ruffalo) feels like he’s close to nabbing the white whale of his career. Mike’s last heist in Santa Barbara resulted in a close call on his life. He tells his mover, “Money” (Nick Nolte), that the next job will be his last. Unaware of what that will entail, Money uses a livewire, the fiery Ormon (Barry Keoghan) to track and rob Mike only after his job is completed.

The last score of Mike begins with using Sharon (Halle Berry) as an in. Why? Sharon is identified as a high-end insurance broker, and one who has long been passed over for the promotion she’s worked over a decade for. Her company has just insured an opulent wedding, one where high priced goods will certainly be in tow. As Mike sets the plan into motion, he’s become more and more infatuated during his down time with Maya (Monica Barbaro), a young woman met by chance who could be the fulcrum of his future if his one last job goes smoothly.

Writer/director Bart Layton continues to establish himself as one of the important creators in the genre following his success with his debut, The Imposter, and the 2018 film American Animals. Crime 101 represents a graduation of sorts, backed by a budget of 90 million (a good chunk spent seemingly on the famous cast). Save for a stellar car chase, this is a very grounded affair with nary a shootout to be found. That said, Layton’s direction is sharp, even the way he moves the camera so fluidly as characters enter and exit cars is notable. Being that this movie follows multiple characters on different paths, editing plays a pivotal role in making everything feel cohesive enough.

The first 15-30 minutes aren’t the smoothest, but eventually, editors Jacob Secher Schulsinger and Julian Hart find a groove, and the pieces fit and stack on top of each other, building intrigue and tension. Shooting in Los Angeles across neighborhoods makes this movie feel expansive and authentic with respect to the glitz and artificiality of certain LA areas along with the grime and realism of other locations, and composer Blanck Mass’ score covers both ends of constant propulsion and oppressive isolation. All together, the technical components make for a feature that is best served on a big screen.

Layton’s story, adapted from a 2020 novella created by Don Winslow, is told methodically, with little interest in funneling its characters to the next big setpiece. It’s much more interested in spending time with its characters and learning through intrapersonal and interpersonal interactions what makes these individuals tick, what they value, and what they’re afraid of. Crime 101 is somewhat straightforward in a sense from a basic cops and robbers perspective, but there’s a lot on the movie’s mind as it pertains to what makes one feel satisfied vs. accomplished, and how individuals deal with a rapidly changing world.

One could even make the argument Crime 101 is a commentary on ageism in society, as its core three characters, each experienced professionals in their lines of work, are navigating a world that is on the verge of pushing them out and leaving them behind, and seeing them rationalize their actions or entrench themselves into their philosophies is intriguing to see in this sort of movie. Yet, not all elements of the script shine brightly, as it runs a tad too long and some characters such as Maya or Lou’s partner played by Corey Hawkins feel shoehorned in to meet a plotline quota, or are pretty unimportant to the dynamics of the story.

Despite a wobbly American accent, Hemsworth turns in a solid contribution, going a bit against type. His Marvel co-star Ruffalo is not foreign to playing a detective, but this is a role that fits him like a glove. The true standout is Berry, who really hasn’t had a role like this in at least a decade. Sharon is written with a noticeable amount of depth and Berry is able to be shrewd, scared, (justifiably) bitter, and beaten down throughout the film. It’s not too late for a third wind of her career, and it would be nice for this feature to serve as the catalyst for it. Lastly, though his character is the most one-note of anyone who appears here, Keoghan’s reckless and psychotic performance provides an appreciated unpredictability to the proceedings.

Maybe there was a better, cooler sounding title than Crime 101 that could have been brainstormed, but don’t interpret the rudimentary name as a reflection of the movie’s quality. Yes, it’s impossible to look at Crime 101 and not see a fair amount of Michael Mann’s Heat flourishes all over. But to reduce it as a Heat knock-off would imply that isn’t one of the better heist thrillers to come out in recent memory. While it’ll be on Amazon Prime eventually, anyone who has even a passing affinity for the genre would be well served to take the time, go to the theater, and get wrapped into the surprisingly thorough feature.

B+

Photo credits go to screenrant.com, IMDB.com, goldderby.com, and cbr.com.