'Crime 101' Review: Bart Layton’s Smart, Stylish Heist Thriller Respects Its Audience

Crime 101

Directed by: Bart Layton

Written by: Bart Layton

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Nick Nolte

Release Date: February 13, 2026

The True Crime Effect on Modern Thrillers

One of the stranger butterfly effects of our collective obsession with true crime is how it has reshaped fictional criminals. Audiences today are hyper-aware of forensic science, DNA, surveillance databases, and investigative techniques. After years of Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, CSI, Law & Order, and Criminal Minds, we’ve learned that even a skin flake can end a career in crime.

Before DNA was common knowledge, filmmakers could ignore the physical trace. Now, modern crime stories have to work harder to justify how a “perfect” criminal gets away with it.

A minor trend has emerged: the meticulous criminal, stripped down to his underwear, scraping away every possible trace of evidence. It’s not a real solution—but it looks convincing. With Chris Hemsworth in the role (and yes, a former People Magazine Sexiest Man Alive), it also doubles as marketing.

What fascinates me is not the spectacle—it’s what it says about evolving technology and the intelligence of today’s audience.

Bart Layton Trusts His Viewers

Writer-director Bart Layton understands that his audience is smart. This now-familiar “DNA cleansing” moment in Crime 101 isn’t lazy—it’s an acknowledgment. It’s Layton telling us, I know what you know, and I’ve thought about it.

That attention to detail defines the entire film.

A Ghost on the 101

Hemsworth stars as Mike, a world-class criminal who has pulled off a series of pristine, high-end robberies without harming anyone and without leaving a trace. The only hint of his existence is a pattern of thefts along the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles.

Only one man believes it’s not coincidence: Detective Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo). To everyone else, Mike is a ghost.

Sharon’s Breaking Point

In a parallel story, we meet Sharon Combs (Halle Berry), a high-end L.A. insurance executive who convinces the ultra-wealthy to insure their art, homes, and indulgences. The job has hollowed her out.

She’s been promised a partnership for years—equity, financial security, dignity. Each time she asks, she’s brushed aside. When she’s finally denied outright, a chance meeting with Mike—perhaps not entirely accidental—opens the door to revenge.

Pressure From All Sides

Mike’s life is unraveling. His relationship with his money man (Nick Nolte) is strained by his refusal to hurt anyone. His contacts want faster, bigger robberies.

Enter Ormon (Barry Keoghan): reckless, violent, and ambitious. Where Mike plans, Ormon reacts. Where Mike hesitates, Ormon explodes.

This familiar dynamic becomes a character study. Mike’s growing conscience and anxiety are thrown into sharp relief by Ormon’s chaos.

Adding to Mike’s internal struggle is his relationship with Maya (Monica Barbaro), the first real connection he’s had outside crime—and she has no idea who he really is.

Style vs. Soul

Crime 101 is sleek, cool, and beautifully moody. The atmosphere clashes intentionally with Mike’s inner collapse. On the outside, he’s still Hemsworth—handsome, idealized masculinity. Inside, he’s unraveling.

Hemsworth conveys this through darting eyes, hesitations, and a simmering anxiety. The cracks in his armor make Mike compelling.

Berry matches him with a restrained, deeply felt performance. Sharon’s compromises are painful but understandable. The way these two characters reveal each other is one of the film’s greatest strengths.

Ruffalo bridges them both—sharing Sharon’s fear of aging and irrelevance while pursuing Mike with quiet obsession.

A Modern Crime Thriller With a Conscience

Layton borrows the aesthetic lineage of Michael Mann but fills the frame with human vulnerability. The striking visuals and controlled production design act as a counterpoint to the emotional mess of his characters.

It’s not just stylish—it’s meaningful.

Crime 101 is engrossing, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent. It respects its audience, its characters, and the genre itself.

And that, to me, is the real mark of a master criminal movie.

Tags

Crime Thriller, Crime 101 Review, Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Bart Layton, Heist Movies, Modern Crime Films, 2026 Movies, Film Analysis, Movie Reviews

⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5 stars