Sony Pictures releases Crime 101, available in UK and Irish cinemas now.
Synopsis
n the twisty, stylish crime thriller CRIME 101, Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is an elusive thief whose high-stakes heists have mystified police. He’s planning his biggest ever score — hoping it’ll be his last — when his path collides with Sharon (Halle Berry), a disillusioned insurance executive whom he’s forced to work with, and Orman (Barry Keoghan), a rival thief with far more disturbing methods than Davis’s. As the multi-million-dollar heist approaches, relentless detective Lt. Lubesnik (Mark Ruffalo) closes in on the operation, raising the stakes even higher, and the line between hunter and hunted starts to blur. Each of them is soon forced to confront the cost of their respective choices — and the realisation that there’s no turning back.
Review
When I was younger, it felt like my dad’s video and DVD collection was dominated by 90s and early 2000s crime thrillers that followed a cat-and-mouse chase between a seasoned cop and a perfectionist criminal. As time moved on, these sorts of films became increasingly rare, but Crime 101 feels like a genuine attempt to revive those stories. It is a throwback to an era of filmmaking that prioritized steady pacing and tactical tension over modern, CGI-heavy spectacle, and for the most part, it hits those notes effectively.
The story moves at a steady pace, bouncing between the leads and their inevitable path-crossings. The writing feels like it sits outside the “Netflix script” formula that so many modern films struggle with. The plot follows Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth), a jewel thief with a meticulous code; he ensures no one gets hurt and plans so perfectly that the police cannot even trace him. The one exception is Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo), who is convinced this mysterious thief exists and is hot on his trail before Mike can finish his final job. Mike’s planning eventually draws in insurance broker Sharon Colvin (Halle Berry) and Ormon (Barry Keoghan), an unhinged, psychotic thief who is the polar opposite of Mike’s precise approach.
The ensemble cast is spot on, with Mark Ruffalo and Barry Keoghan standing out even among such a top-heavy cast list. Even Halle Berry having a fantastic scene that will reverberate with many many women who witness it. However, the film’s biggest hurdle for me remains the man at the center: Chris Hemsworth. While the lead should be the anchor of the story, he ends up feeling more like a placeholder. This is a shame because the fault doesn’t seem to lie with Hemsworth himself—we know he has an overwhelming level of charisma in real life—but the writing leaves him stranded with a character who is far too bland and stoic to truly root for. He is the quintessential “man with a past,” yet he lacks any discernible personality traits beyond that, making it difficult to fully invest in him. This is furthered by an American accent that is just a little bit off; it’s not enough to ruin the film, but it’s a noticeable flaw.
It is worth noting as well of the subplot of Mike’s new love interest, Maya (Monica Barbaro), a young woman who rear ends Mike and kicks off a short romance (though hard to buy that somebody that looks like Chris Hemsworth would lack confidence). This could have been a much better subplot but it was not explored enough to really warrant being in the film. Considering the incredibly short time they spent together, as well as the complete lack of personality Mike has, she was very keen to stick around with him. It lacked any real gravitas to the story and without it, the same outcomes would have happened for Mike and the others.
The script is entirely fine, though a few extra plot threads would have helped bring it all together. How did Mike end up in this business? Who was he passing the stolen goods to? Most importantly, why would anyone in their right mind want Ormon on a job, considering he is terrible at it and leaves evidence all over the scene? These logic gaps don’t make the film a failure, but they do prevent the movie from having a firmer structure.
Verdict
Ultimately, Crime 101 is a fun crime heist, cat and mouse thriller that succeeds more than it fails, even if it remains a “good but short of great” experience that felt like it needed a few more rounds of rewrites before hitting that sweet spot.
⭐⭐⭐
