Crime 101 (2026) – Chris Hemsworth vs Mark Ruffalo in a Slow-Burn Heist Thriller

Genre– Thriller
Director – Bart Layton
Writers–Bart Layton – Based on Crime 101 by Don Winslow
Cast – Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, and Halle Berry
Runtime – 140 Minutes
Release Dates – January 28, 2026 (London) – February 13, 2026 (United States)
My Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆☆

Where to watch/stream Crime 101

At its best, Crime 101 is average. At its worst, you might feel personally robbed.

Crime dramas are my comfort food.

Give me a clever thief, a stubborn detective, a ticking clock, and I’m happy, and Crime 101 had all the ingredients, plus Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo staring each other down.

On paper, that sounds like a solid Friday night, but in reality, it felt more like a polite shrug than a knockout punch.

Plot Summary of Crime 101 (Spoiler-Free)

A skilled jewel thief, played by Chris Hemsworth, has been pulling off a series of high-end robberies along the 101 freeway corridor in Los Angeles, and he sticks to a strict set of rules, which is where the title comes from – these robberies are clean, controlled, and hard to trace.

On the other side is a determined detective, played by Mark Ruffalo, and he believes the crimes are connected, even when others are not convinced, so he studies the patterns, the timing, the locations, and becomes obsessed with proving that one mastermind is behind it all.

As the thief prepares for what may be his biggest job yet, he becomes connected to an insurance broker played by Halle Berry, who is dealing with professional and personal pressure, and her role ties into the financial aftermath of these crimes and the closer everyone gets to this final heist, the more their paths overlap.

There are also a few supporting players, including Nick Nolte in a small but noticeable role, and Barry Keoghan as a wildcard presence who adds some unpredictability to certain moments.

Crime 101: Is It Worth Watching?

Well, it’s not terrible, but it also isn’t that good, either, as it lives in that frustrating middle ground where you can see the potential, you can almost touch it, but it never fully delivers.

The first thing I’ll say is that Crime 101 looks good, as the Los Angeles setting works – the homes, the highways, the sleek jewelry stores, everything feels expensive – and there’s a quiet confidence to the way the film presents its world – the problem is that calm sometimes drifts into flatness.

Chris Hemsworth plays the thief with a cool, controlled presence, and I liked that it would have been easy to turn this character into some over-the-top criminal genius who smirks at everyone, but it’s all fairly grounded.

But here’s the thing, careful can also mean distant.

There were moments where I wanted more personality, and a bit more spark., as while you understand his skill set, you never fully felt connected or care to0 much about him.

Mark Ruffalo on the other hand, brings that steady, slightly worn-down energy he does so well, where he plays men who are tired but determined, and you can feel the frustration and the quiet belief that he’s right even when others doubt him.

The back-and-forth between him and Hemsworth should have been the highlight of Crime 101 – two smart men circling each other, predator and predator – but it all feels rather muted, as they don’t share enough charged moments. together, and I kept waiting for that scene.

You know the one – the verbal chess match, and the moment where they sit across from each other and the room feels tight, but it never quite hits that level.

Halle Berry’s role is another mixed bag, as the trailer made it seem like she would be central to everything, like she would shift the balance of the story, but in reality, she’s present, she has scenes, but her character never feels fully developed.

We do get an interesting idea there about morality and money, about who benefits from crime and who pays for it, and the film hints at it, it just doesn’t dig deep enough.

Then there’s Nick Nolte, and watching him in this film was uncomfortable, as his character is supposed to be someone with power and authority in the criminal world, but he appears frail and shaky on screen. Instead of focusing on what he’s saying, I found myself worrying about him.

Barry Keoghan, on the other hand, injects some much-needed unpredictability, as he has this ability to make even the small moments feel slightly unstable, where you’re never fully sure what he’s going to do next – even when he goes a little too big with his performance, I preferred that to the quieter, flatter energy elsewhere in the film.

But, the action scenes will make up for a lot of this, right?

Well, for a movie about jewel theft and a massive heist, the action feels too restrained as well, because the way they’re filmed and paced doesn’t quite raise the pulse, and while it’s all competent, you never feel on edge like you should.

Now, that might be intentional, as maybe the director wanted this to feel more thoughtful than explosive, but when you market a movie around a high-stakes heist, you set certain expectations – I don’t need nonstop chaos, I just need at least one moment where I lean forward in my seat without realizing it, instead of staying comfortably upright the whole time.

The dialogue is another area that feels like it almost works.

There are lines that sound smart, conversations that hint at deeper themes, but the delivery and pacing don’t always bring those lines to life, and sometimes it feels like the characters are talking around the point rather than driving into it.

The film is based on a novel by Don Winslow, which explains why the bones of the story are solid, as there’s structure here, and there’s logic, as it all makes enough sense, but translating that internal tension from a book to the screen requires energy and rhythm, and here, the rhythm is steady, maybe too steady.

And yet, I wasn’t bored, as the movie held my attention, and I was aware that we were moving from scene to scene, building toward something that I hoped would explode in a big, satisfying way, and when the big moments arrive, they land, but they just don’t slam.

By the end, I was thinking that was fine, and “fine” is sometimes the most frustrating reaction of all, because this had the cast, it had the setup, and it had the potential for a sharp, tense thriller about obsession and greed and the thin line between legal and illegal worlds.

But Crime 101 plays things way too safe.

What I Liked (And What I Didn’t Like)

Pros

Strong Leading Cast

Hemsworth and Ruffalo are believable in their roles, even if they don’t fully spark.

Clean Visual Style

The film looks polished and confident.

Clear Story Structure

The plot is easy to follow without feeling too dumbed down.

Barry Keoghan

He adds some unpredictability and energy.

Cons

Lack of Real Tension

The heist scenes don’t feel gripping enough.

Underdeveloped Supporting Characters

Some roles feel thin, especially Halle Berry’s.

Limited Chemistry Between Leads

Hemsworth and Ruffalo needed more charged interactions.

Flat Dialogue

Some conversations really lack an emotional punch.

Nick Nolte

His presence felt distracting.

Emotional Distance

It’s hard to feel deeply invested in the characters.

Marketing Mismatch

The trailer promises more excitement than the film delivers.

Who Might Like Crime 101

• Fans of slow-burn crime dramas
• If you prefer your thrillers with character focus over explosive action
• Anyone looking for a calm, steady thriller

Who Might Dislike Crime 101

• Anyone expecting intense, edge-of-your-seat action
• People drawn in by the trailer’s promise of high energy
• Those who prefer bold twists and dramatic showdowns

Final Verdict: Did I Enjoy Watching Crime 101?

Crime 101 is a film that plays everything just a little too safe, and if you’re curious, maybe wait for streaming, because if you’re craving a truly gripping heist thriller, this probably won’t scratch that itch.

For me, it was a decent way to spend an evening, just not one I’ll be replaying in my head anytime soon.

Crime 101 Trailer

Simon Leasher

A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I have watched many films from around the world in many different genres, yet I still normally always come back to trashy slasher horror films when in doubt. More

And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.