Crime 101

UK Release Date. 13 February 2026
Certification. 15
Running Time. 2 hours 20 mins
Director. Bart Layton
Cast. Monica Barbaro, Halle Berry, Tate Donovan, Chris Hemsworth, Barry Keoghan, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo.
Rating. 80%

Review.

Adapted from a Don Winslow novella of the same name, Bart Layton's Crime 101 is a stylish crime thriller set in Los Angeles. Comparisons with Michael Mann's Heat are inevitable - in truth, Layton does himself no favours by repeatedly employing sweeping aerial shots of the Los Angeles skyline, and its sprawling magnitude of freeways and plush avenues. 

The script finds a healthy balance between action, drama, and suspense. The English director crafts a compelling story that sustains tension from a well-choreographed opening sequence to an inevitable grandstand finish. While the film's reliance on established crime tropes hovers on the edge of cliché, the overall result remains surprisingly fresh. Stringently character-driven, Crime 101 takes an array of interesting characters in its own distinct direction and also touches on a range of themes involving class, corruption and inequality.

Chris Hemsworth continues to prove his versatility playing Mike Davis, the taciturn, socially awkward but highly competent criminal trying to make enough money to get away clean. A grounded and restrained Hemsworth, playing against type, alludes to a childhood trauma he stoically won't reveal.

There's a throwback quality to Crime 101. Noirish and sleek, without trying too hard to show how cool it is. Crime 101 may not reach the lofty heights of Michael Mann's Heat, but deserves to be held in the same esteem as crime genre gems such as Bullitt, The Thomas Crown Affair, Thief, To Live And Die In L.A. and Drive; and while not reinventing the wheel, Crime 101 is a reminder that clever, layered, and beautifully made thrillers do still exist.