Crime 101: An All-Star Heist Without the Thrill

Editor's Note: Please welcome the Celestial Cinephile herself, Megan Hilborne, to OBSCURAE! We very kindly got an invitation from Sony to preview the film (many thanks to Sony and The Multiple Agency!), and Megan very kindly attended for us. Enjoy!

Bart Layton’s Crime 101 arrives with immense promise: a sleek Los Angeles–set crime thriller evoking the cool precision of Michael Mann’s Heat, one of the genre’s defining achievements. Unfortunately, while Crime 101 looks the part, it ultimately falls short of reaching those same heights.

The film follows Mike (Chris Hemsworth), a meticulous jewel thief who prides himself on never harming his victims. He is pursued by detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo), who begins to notice that each robbery follows a pattern along Route 101. As Mike prepares his next heist with the help of insurance broker Sharon Colvin (Halle Berry), a volatile rival thief, Ormon (Barry Keoghan), threatens to disrupt his carefully controlled operation. The narrative introduces a wide array of characters, but despite the strong setup, the story struggles to build sustained momentum.

Where Crime 101 undeniably succeeds is in its cinematography. Bathed in cool blues and greys, the film exudes style. It embraces classic heist iconography - sharp suits, luxury settings, fast cars, guns, and glamorous, Bond-esque women in slinky dresses. Visually, the film feels assured and atmospheric, and this aesthetic polish elevates material that might otherwise feel far thinner.

The dialogue is sharp and frequently very funny. In fact, the humour is so effective that it occasionally undercuts the tension the film strives to create. I can’t recall the last time I heard an audience laugh so often during a thriller designed to feel taut and suspenseful.

There are numerous witty one-liners - including a memorable moment where Ruffalo’s character mistakes a wealthy man’s wife for his daughter - that genuinely land. However, the sheer volume of these comedic beats pushes the tone close to silliness at times.

Despite flashes of strong writing, the central plot feels surprisingly underwhelming. The film takes too long to reach its core conflict, and when it does, the storyline proves relatively straightforward. For a 140-minute crime thriller, I expected sharper twists, higher stakes, and moments that would truly quicken the pulse. Instead, much of the runtime feels padded, and the tension never fully ignites.

The all-star cast does much of the heavy lifting. Chris Hemsworth is compelling as Mike, balancing suave, Bond-like charisma with moments of vulnerability. Seeing his character display genuine fear is a refreshing deviation from the typically unflappable heist protagonist.

Mark Ruffalo is a standout as Lubesnick, portraying a lovable, slightly disheveled cop navigating a divorce. Small character details - from being a devoted cat dad to carrying ingrown toenail treatment among his belongings - add texture and humanity.

Barry Keoghan brings chaotic unpredictability to the film as Ormon. His jittery, dangerous energy sharply contrasts Mike’s calm precision, injecting much-needed tension. In oneparticularly effective scene, the sound of a crying baby during a jewelry store robbery adds an unsettling layer of vulnerability and dread.

However, the film falters in its treatment of its female characters. While Halle Berry and Monica Barbaro both deliver poised performances, their roles feel disappointingly underwritten, often reduced to familiar archetypes that rely heavily on the male leads.

Though each is given a moment of redemption toward the end, their characters never feel as fully realized as they deserve. Perhaps the actual crime here is casting Jennifer Jason Leigh in a role limited to a single, largely forgettable scene - a puzzling waste of such a formidable talent.

Ultimately, Crime 101 is slick and stylish, with strong performances and striking cinematography. Yet beneath its polished exterior lies a story that never fully capitalizes on its potential. It has all the ingredients of a gripping modern crime classic, but it never quite delivers the thrill it promises.