Cinema Scholars reviews the new heist film Crime 101, directed by Bart Layton. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Barry Keoghan, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, and Halle Berry. Amazon MGM Studios is releasing Crime 101 in theaters nationwide on February 13, 2026.
INTRODUCTION
I read a lot of mystery novels. Nearly forty last year alone. It is also my favorite form of
movie and television storytelling. Within that world, my favorite sub-genre has always
been the crime novel, the stories that dive into the darker corners and sometimes let us
walk beside the criminal instead of chasing him.
movie and television storytelling. Within that world, my favorite sub-genre has always
been the crime novel, the stories that dive into the darker corners and sometimes let us
walk beside the criminal instead of chasing him.
There is something compelling about seeing the machinery of a crime from the inside: the precision, the ego, the rationalizations, and the quiet desperation that often fuels it.
Crime 101, directed by Bart Layton and based on the novella by Don Winslow, fits
squarely into that tradition, but it also subverts it in interesting ways.
squarely into that tradition, but it also subverts it in interesting ways.
This is not a flashy celebration of outlaw cool. It is something colder, more clinical, and in many ways more unsettling.
![[L-R] Mark Ruffalo as Lou and Chris Hemsworth as Davis in CRIME 101. Photo Credit Dean Rogers](https://i0.wp.com/cinemascholars.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/crime-101-Davis-Chris-Hemsworth-right-and-Lou-Mark-Ruffalo-left-in-CRIME-101.-Photo-Credit_-Dean-Rogers_rgb.webp?resize=690%2C471&ssl=1)
SYNOPSIS
At the center of the film is Mike Davis, played by Chris Hemsworth. Mike is a master
jewel thief, disciplined and meticulous. He studies patterns, times his moves with
precision, and operates by a strict code he calls “Crime 101:” never hit the same place
twice, never carry a gun, never hurt anyone unnecessarily.
jewel thief, disciplined and meticulous. He studies patterns, times his moves with
precision, and operates by a strict code he calls “Crime 101:” never hit the same place
twice, never carry a gun, never hurt anyone unnecessarily.
And yet, for all his skill, Mike is almost eerily hollow. Unlike many cinematic criminals who are given elaborate backstories or tragic motivations, Mike exists almost entirely within the act of committing crime. Outside of the job, he feels unfinished. There are no deep friendships, no meaningful family connections, and only the faintest attempt at romance.
PERFORMANCES
Hemsworth plays Davis with restraint. There is very little swagger here. Instead, we see
a man who is exceptional at one thing and quietly lost in every other area of his life. His
tentative relationship with Maya suggests he longs for something more, but he cannot or
will not allow himself to be fully known. The irony is sharp: a man who can orchestrate a
flawless heist cannot manage emotional vulnerability.
a man who is exceptional at one thing and quietly lost in every other area of his life. His
tentative relationship with Maya suggests he longs for something more, but he cannot or
will not allow himself to be fully known. The irony is sharp: a man who can orchestrate a
flawless heist cannot manage emotional vulnerability.
On the opposite end of the criminal spectrum is Ormon, played with feral intensity by
Barry Keoghan. If Mike is icy precision, Ormon is chaos. He is also a thief, but without
the code. Where Mike calculates, Ormon reacts. Where Mike avoids violence, Ormon
embraces it as a shortcut. Keoghan pushes the character to unnerving extremes,
reminiscent at times of a young Willem Dafoe or Nicolas Cage at their most unhinged.
He is magnetic and dangerous, a scene stealer in nearly every frame he occupies.
ENSEMBLE CAST
Ormon is hired by the morally compromised middleman “Money,” played by Nick Nolte,
to track and pressure Mike. Nolte’s casting is perfect. He brings a weary cynicism to the
role, embodying the kind of character who has seen too much and long ago decided
that morality is a luxury item. He operates in the gray space between crime and
commerce, where everything and everyone has a price.
to track and pressure Mike. Nolte’s casting is perfect. He brings a weary cynicism to the
role, embodying the kind of character who has seen too much and long ago decided
that morality is a luxury item. He operates in the gray space between crime and
commerce, where everything and everyone has a price.
Across from these men stands Detective Lou Lubesnick, portrayed brilliantly by Mark
Ruffalo. Lou feels almost like a throwback character. There is a hint of Columbo in him:
rumpled, slightly weary, underestimated. But beneath that exterior is a dogged
intelligence and an unwavering moral compass. Ruffalo gives Lou warmth and
humanity, making him the emotional anchor of the film. In a story filled with morally
adrift characters, Lou remains grounded. He may be beaten down by years on the job,
but he has not surrendered his belief in doing the right thing.
humanity, making him the emotional anchor of the film. In a story filled with morally
adrift characters, Lou remains grounded. He may be beaten down by years on the job,
but he has not surrendered his belief in doing the right thing.
Then there is Sharon, played by Halle Berry. As an insurance broker for the wealthy
elite, she is not simply a plot device; she is the connective tissue that ties the worlds of
crime, money, and law enforcement together. Berry brings intelligence and quiet
resilience to the role. Sharon serves as the emotional middle ground in the film—a
reminder that these crimes ripple outward and affect more than just the men who
commit them.
DISCUSSION
One of the aspects I appreciated most was Layton’s deliberate pacing. The film
embraces the slow burn. We are given time to watch the pieces move into place, to see
how the final job is constructed step by step. The tension builds not through frenetic
action but through inevitability. You understand what each character is capable of, and
that knowledge makes every decision heavier.
embraces the slow burn. We are given time to watch the pieces move into place, to see
how the final job is constructed step by step. The tension builds not through frenetic
action but through inevitability. You understand what each character is capable of, and
that knowledge makes every decision heavier.
The Los Angeles setting plays an important thematic role. The film captures the sleek,
sun-washed facades and the anonymous sprawl of the city. Unlike New York with its
personality or Chicago with its grit, this Los Angeles feels strangely impersonal—
beautiful, but detached.
That facelessness mirrors Mike himself. He moves through the
city like a ghost, efficient and unremarkable, blending into a landscape that offers
opportunity without intimacy.
city like a ghost, efficient and unremarkable, blending into a landscape that offers
opportunity without intimacy.
CONCLUSION
I went into Crime 101 mildly concerned, especially after the uneven adaptation of
Savages, another Don Winslow novel. But here, the story is tight, the performances are
uniformly strong, and the direction confident. Layton understands that crime stories are
not just about the heist; they are about the emptiness, ambition, and moral
compromises that lead people there.
Savages, another Don Winslow novel. But here, the story is tight, the performances are
uniformly strong, and the direction confident. Layton understands that crime stories are
not just about the heist; they are about the emptiness, ambition, and moral
compromises that lead people there.
For me, this is a solid, intelligent entry in the crime genre. It may not romanticize its
criminals, but that restraint is precisely what makes it compelling. It is a film about
precision, consequence, and the quiet cost of living by a code that ultimately cannot
save you.
Amazon MGM Studios is releasing Crime 101 in theaters nationwide on February 13, 2026.
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