Bart Layton, the British director of American Animals, replaces the docudrama experimentation of that film with the skillful genre craftsmanship of Crime 101, a slick Los Angeles thriller based on a Don Winslow novella. The outcome is a bracing, character-driven heist movie with obvious nods to Heat in its precision, professionalism, and moral codes.
The thriller leaves a lasting impression despite familiar genre
Chris Hemsworth stars as Mike, also known as Davis, a highly skilled jewel thief who pulls off meticulously planned heists along the 101 Freeway in California. With his sleek performance cars, Glock handguns, and highly precise timing, Mike leaves no human victims or physical clues behind. Hemsworth underplays his typical blockbuster leading-man charisma to suggest a tightly wound nervousness beneath Mike’s cool exterior, a man in pursuit of the elusive idea of “walkaway money.”
Mike’s mentor, the leather-tough fixer Money, is played with growling authority by Nick Nolte, who in the film’s backstory rescued Mike from foster care and introduced him to a life of crime. However, Mike’s loyalty is tested by the more dangerous heists being offered. Enter Ormon, a bleached-blond, motorbike-riding loose cannon played with unnervingly volatile energy by Barry Keoghan. Mike is a highly disciplined, highly controlled operator; Ormon is his opposite: impulsive, reckless, and prone to firing his handgun at the drop of a hat.
On the other side, there’s LAPD detective Lou Lubesnick, played by Mark Ruffalo as a rumpled, dogged idealist. Lou sees what everyone else doesn’t on Route 101, but in a department that seems corporate and image-conscious, his old-fashioned integrity seems as outdated as a vintage police badge.
Halle Berry adds depth as Sharon, a tough insurance broker struggling to break through the glass ceiling while caught up in Mike’s world. She’s as desperate to succeed as he is to escape.
Layton’s cinematography captures Los Angeles with neon-lit menace and lingering intimacy. The picture overstays its welcome at times, indulging in mood and social commentary. But in a thrilling climax at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, there’s a layered deception that leads to explosive action. Slick, muscular, and well-acted, Crime 101 doesn’t necessarily break new ground in the genre, but it holds your attention tightly and leaves a searing imprint on the asphalt.
