Crime 101 by Bart Layton (2026)
The latest from Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter) certainly has atmosphere to spare, thanks to its beautifully lensed aerial shots of Highway 101 snaking its way through Los Angeles (kudos to cinematographer Erik Wilson) and Blanck Mass’s moody electronic score. Unfortunately, its story about a meticulous jewel thief planning one last job (Chris Hemsworth), the unorthodox detective on his trail (Mark Ruffalo), and the disillusioned insurance broker who gets pulled into his plans (Halle Berry), never amounts to more than a sum of its parts. Which is a shame, because the individual characters, who are all struggling against the systems in which they find themselves, are intriguing. It doesn’t help that the film unfolds at a molasses-like pace that, rather than ratcheting up the tension, just renders everything kind of boring, car chases included. With its brooding visuals and pacing, Layton clearly wanted to make a Michael Mann-type thriller, but Crime 101 just makes me want to rewatch Thief and Heat.
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