Written and directed by Bart Layton, Crime 101 is a crime thriller based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Don Winslow. The film adaptation stars Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and more, and is now showing in cinemas worldwide.

Jewel thief Mike Davis’ heists along the 101 freeway have left police baffled. When he sets his sights on the ultimate score, his plans intersect with those of insurance broker Sharon Colvin. Detective Lou Lubesnick believes he has cracked Mike’s pattern and is determined to bring him down before the next job.

Chris Hemsworth leads the cast as Mike Davis, a notorious thief who is planning to leave that career behind and start building a better life, but after one more big heist. Hemsworth is best known for his heroic, tough-guy roles and characters with big personalities and plenty of charm. Mike Davis has the toughness to get the job done, but severely lacks personality, making the character awkward and socially inept.

He barely smiles and opens up about himself, which becomes more apparent when he tries to go on a date and move on from his life of crime. While these may sound like faults, they’re actually what make the character interesting and allow Hemsworth to showcase a whole different side of his acting range, not his usual charming self. His performance might also suggest that the character has had a troubled past, prompting audiences to learn more.

Halle Berry stars as Sharon Colvin, an insurance broker who has been loyal to the company she works for, even though they don’t appreciate all her hard work for the past 11 years that has contributed to their success. Her latest client also happens to be Mike’s next target, which soon complicates matters.

Halle’s performance shows a hardworking woman at her wits’ end with how much she’s undervalued at work, but gets an opportunity to get back at them, though she is also conflicted whether she should or not. At first, Sharon’s role in the story didn’t feel too important, but it quickly gets more interesting as the plot thickens.

Mark Ruffalo portrays Lou Lubesnick, a detective trying to track down Mike. Lou shows his dedication to his work and actually finds some leads, though this also affects his marriage and personal life. Ruffalo typically plays good guy characters, and even though his character in this film is also a good guy, he has a no-nonsense attitude and is rough around the edges. His performance shows a detective who’s committed to solving this case, but also shows his personal struggles.

Barry Keoghan plays Ormon, another criminal who complicates things for Mike. Keoghan is best known for his unhinged, unpredictable characters, and while his portrayal of Ormon is more tame in comparison, it still shares some traits with his past roles.

Ormon is ruthless, short-tempered, and seemingly reckless, but never to be underestimated. Hemsworth’s character is bigger, taller and stronger than Keoghans’, so he relies on his wits to outsmart the bigger criminal. Keoghan might get less screen time than the main cast, but his scenes stand out a lot thanks to his unusual nature.

The film also stars Monica Barbaro as Maya, Nick Nolte as Money, Jennifer Jason Leigh as Angie, and Tate Donovan as Steven Monroe, among others.

Like the novel, Crime 101 relies heavily on its plot and detailed storytelling. The film does make a few changes from the novel it’s based on, but manages to keep all the important aspects and adapt them for the big screen.

The film is primarily a crime thriller, focusing more on the plot than the action. There are certain parts that the pace might drag on longer than it needed to, mainly in the first hour, but it is well worth it to get to the good parts when everything falls into place, and audiences will be glued to the screen to see how it all plays out.

Something Crime 101 does that many crime thriller movies don’t: it shows the main characters’ not-so-great personal lives. Chris Hemsworth plays a highly skilled thief who lacks charm and struggles to fit into society; Halle Berry plays a loyal, hardworking woman going through a midlife crisis; and Mark Ruffalo plays a rough-around-the-edges detective whose marriage is falling apart.

The film has its fair share of action scenes, which may not be as over-the-top as other action flicks, but they do their part in telling the overall story without overshadowing it.

The cinematography does an excellent job of focusing on the important aspects, especially in scenes where detectives investigate a crime, thieves plan their next move, and the main characters reveal their vulnerable moments. This allows audiences to experience what the characters are going through and constantly makes them guess who might be the real heroes or villains.

Films like Crime 101, which put more emphasis on storytelling and the detective side, seem rare these days. They usually go straight to video or streaming services, so seeing it on the big screen feels refreshing. Seeing A-list stars portray characters they’re not usually known for allows them to show a whole different side of their acting range.

Even if certain parts drag a bit in the first hour of this 2-hour 20-minute movie, it never reaches the point where audiences lose interest, as the clever storytelling and detailed cinematography maintain their attention and keep them anticipating how the story unfolds. Crime 101 is a refreshing take on the crime thriller genre.

Written by: Sammy Hanson