Phil Roberts 
Crime 101 is a delicious slice of Americana. Chris Hemsworth leads a phenomenal cast through a slick heist caper oozing with the same quality as the thrillers of yesteryear. Although it lacks the edge and depth to make it truly soar, it’s a wonderfully layered and smooth caper.
Crime thrillers aren’t that common these days. Gone are the glory days of Hollywood when Steve McQueen raced along the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt, or Marlon Brando brought Don Corleone to life in The Godfather. So when a filmmaker throws his hat into the ring in the modern era, we take notice. Enter Bart Layton. The visionary director of The Imposter returns to cinema screens this weekend with Crime 101, a slick crime thriller featuring an incredible all-star cast.
With major A-listers like Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo lending their talents to the cause, the film promises to be an exciting heist caper. So, can Layton deliver the ultimate crime thriller for the modern era? Or is Crime 101 just another disappointing throwback to a bygone era?
REVIEW
Look out, crime fans, because Bart Layton’s Crime 101 is a delicious slice of Americana. Chris Hemsworth leads a phenomenal cast through a slick heist caper oozing with the same quality as the thrillers of yesteryear. With a killer soundtrack, some tense scenes, a classic car chase, and some loving tributes to past classics, the film is a rare breed. Although it lacks the edge and depth to make it truly soar, it’s a wonderfully layered and smooth caper that deserves to be enjoyed on the big screen.
CHARACTERS
For the most part, Layton executes the film impressively. From the opening moments, the film feels like a classic crime caper with a contemporary twist. Layton’s sharp screenplay oozes with the same quality as the films that inspired it. From Bullitt to The Thomas Crown Affair, both films are referenced frequently, paying homage to their quality. And after the tense opening moments, the audience quickly becomes accustomed to Crime 101 being a love letter to the genre. Thankfully, Layton doesn’t waste a single second of screentime here. If the sequences aren’t filling in the blanks with some much-needed exposure, they are adding depth and backstory to the characters that will carry the story forward.
This is one of the film’s many triumphs. Time is given to each character to develop and grow before our very eyes. From the outset, Chris Hemsworth’s master thief is portrayed as a calculated, precision instrument, leaving no stone unturned to ensure his plans are executed to perfection. But once the job is done, the stolen goods are secured, and he returns to normality, he struggles even with basic human traits to make meaningful connections. Mike Davis (Hemsworth) is truly a man for the modern era, yearning to be wanted but unequipped to make friends or romantic connections.
HEMSWORTH
It’s a fascinating watch. Having a lead so calculated and self-assured when he’s in his element is one thing, but witnessing the contrast is a jarring tonal shift that only makes you want to root for the bad guy. We feel for Davis, share his anxiety at meeting new people, and yearn for him to find happiness. Hemsworth plays the character to perfection, and although both sides of his personality are intriguing to unravel, the character never truly feels complete. Honestly, I wish Hemsworth had truly committed and explored some of the loose plot threads from Davis’s past. There was something real and eager to be explored, which could have added much-needed emotional weight. Instead, the character falls flat, and we never really feel the weight of the stakes.
The same can be said for Halle Berry as Sharon Combs. Berry is a brilliant performer, and she brings Combs to life with conviction. We feel for her and share her turmoil, which resonates with the audience on a personal level. Berry’s performance brings a safe pair of hands at the wheel, and she applies herself impressively. Combs is a powerful modern woman, and Berry is allowed to flex her muscles to develop Combs into a smart businesswoman for the modern era. Sadly, Berry finds herself sidelined for large parts of the film, but when she interacts with he co-stars, that’s when the magic happens.
READY RUFFALO
The screen literally gleams when she and Hemsworth share the scene together. The duo bounces off each other well, adding a new layer to the dynamic, but it’s when she meets Mark Ruffalo’s Det. Lou Lubesnick, that’s where the real magic happens. Berry’s rapport with Ruffalo is exceptional, and the tension in the air when they share the screen is palpable. But by far the best dynamic in the film is the cat-and-mouse game between Hemsworth and Ruffalo. Although they share the screen for only a few scenes, their exchanges are glorious, upping the ante and ramping up the tension.
Watching the duo match wits is schintilating stuff, and offers some of the film’s best moments. We truly feel the electricity in the air as they size each other up and trade remarks designed to lure each other into revealing more than they should, and that is all credit to Layton’s sharp screenplay. Layton’s work here is impressive. The director has crafted a wonderfully rich, well-layered thriller that works on so many levels, which is why it feels so frustrating when the film fails to follow through and inject some genuine edge and tension into the rest of the film.
KILLER KEOGHAN
Thankfully, Barry Keoghan’s Ormon is immune to the film’s failings. It is wonderful to watch Keoghan flexing his muscles and bringing a truly sadistic killer to life. We saw hints of his potential in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, but in Crime 101, he is truly given the time to explore his killer character for our viewing pleasure. Again, his exchanges with Chris Hemsworth are fun to watch and lead to a classic car chase scene. In a throwback to the classics, Hemsworth zooms through the streets in his Dodge Challenger, chasing Keoghan on a motorcycle, leading to one of the film’s best sequences. Layton truly captures the essence of the old-school car chase, packing it with crashes, scrapes, and death-defying jumps, which only adds to the charm.
Keoghan’s role is substantially smaller than the main trio, but he more than makes up for any disappointment with another sensational performance that will have fans riveted. Additionally, it is wonderful to see Hollywood legend Nick Nolte back in the saddle as the handler of Hemsworth’s stolen goods. Sadly, his role is fleeting, but Nolte delivers a traditionally steely character that I’d love to explore in greater detail.
SETTING THE STAGEÂ
Like the classics it pays homage to, Crime 101’s story is self-contained in Los Angeles, giving its name a double meaning. However, the glorious scenery captured by Erik Wilson’s breathtaking and gritty cinematography complements the material to perfection. From the lavish beach sets to the pricey office buildings, the film captures the city’s essence, allowing the audience to soak in the beauty of Californian sunshine before the sun sets, revealing another side of its nature.
Despite its gritty design, the film is slick. vivid and packed with warmth. Even when we explore the lowly apartment of Mark Ruffalo’s down-on-his-luck cop, the backdrops are sumptuous and capture the beauty of the city. Again, this sensational scenery is only accentuated by the brilliantly pulse-pounding score by Blanck Mass. Mass’ soundtrack is packed with retro beats that take us back to another time. Although his textural electronic composition feels contemporary, it has all the hallmarks of a classic crime score, and that is the highest compliment I can pay.
TO THE EDGE
Sadly, however, the film has its fair share of failings. After all, no film is ever perfect, and Crime 101 is the prime example. Despite its slick screenplay, glorious cinematography, and pulse-pounding score, the film lacks real depth or edge to make it truly soar. Despite its 140-minute run time, the film reaches its finale feeling wholly undercooked. At no time do the stakes feel real, nor do the characters show any real emotion to the events unfolding around them.
What’s more, the events that transpire never really feel weighted enough to keep us invested. It’s hard to quantify these failures. But when you sit down to watch one of the classics, each one has key moments that make it iconic-and Crime 101 has none. And that is the film’s biggest issue.
Yes, it’s fun, gritty, and well worth the time invested, but it never feels anything more than a pretender. It lacks any real depth and fails to conjure the edge it needs to be anything more than the sum of its parts. This is never more obvious than in the finale, and the payoff will leave some members of the audience feeling a little shortchanged. Yes, the film addresses classism and how financial security affects the modern climate, but it never feels like enough, and that is the biggest letdown.
VERDICT
Overall, Crime 101 is a wonderful way to kill two hours. Bart Layton has crafted a well-executed and enjoyable slice of Americana that deserves its time to shine. Sadly, it never reaches its full potential or the bar set by the films it tries to emulate. But with some impressive performances from its wonderful cast, a brilliant score by Blanck Mass, and a slick screenplay from Bart Layton, the film has more than enough quality to make a killing at the box office.
Whether it can live up to Don Winslow’s novella it is based on remains to be seen. Either way, Layton has delivered a quintessential throwback to the classics of yesteryear. It’s thrilling, packed with intrigue, and a storyline that will have you rooting for the bad guy. So, get your ticket, soak up the sun, and enjoy the film for what it is — a tribute to the classics that shaped the industry. Let’s go!
Crime 101 brings the heist of the year to cinemas from today.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
