I love a good noir, so the trailer for Crime 101, which features an impressive cast, has definitely caught my attention. This is my first encounter with the work of English filmmaker Bart Layton, who earned a BAFTA for his documentary The Impostor. From just the trailer, I can feel the vibe of Michael Mann, the king of Neo-noir, with films like Heat and Collateral, both of which take place in Los Angeles.

Layton adapted the story from Don Winslow’s novella. Filmed on location, I read that Crime 101 was filmed in Pacific Palisades before the January 2025 wildfires destroyed much of that area. The neon-lit sprawling LA cityscapes, the electro-infused soundtrack, and the portrayal of methodical, cool criminals all give off that classic 90s thriller feel. Plus, it stars Chris Hemsworth as the lead, who previously played a hacker in Mann’s Blackhat, which, sadly, isn’t one of Mann’s best films.

But the Aussie actor redeems himself in this one as another career criminal, Mike Davis, a clever thief but not one to resort to violence. The movie kicks off with him pulling off a heist on a courier carrying diamonds. It’s a high-stakes, well-planned robbery that goes off without a hitch, even though he ends up with a minor injury. Mike is really skilled at what he does, as this heist is just one of many high-profile jewelry thefts happening along the Pacific Coast Highway and close to LA’s 101 freeway.

Nick Nolte, at 85, takes on the role of a crime boss aptly named Money, who likely played a part in pulling Mike out of foster care and into a life of crime. He acts as a mentor and somewhat of a father figure to Mike, who leads a solitary and nomadic existence, hopping from one fancy beach-front condo to the next. For him, intimacy means a night with a sex worker, which clearly doesn’t excite him anymore. So, when he unexpectedly runs into, literally, a stunning LA girl named Maya (a sultry Monica Barbaro) during a fender-bender, he jumps at the chance.

Hemsworth portrays Mike with a layer of vulnerability that I find appealing, since he’s rarely given the chance to inhabit such a character. Mike isn’t a jokester; perhaps a bit of a bumbling romantic (he cooks Maya dinner at one of their dates), but he keeps her at arm’s length. Oscar-nominee Barbaro is clearly overqualified, but she imbues emotional weight to an otherwise throwaway character. The two have a nice chemistry, well, mostly to Barbaro’s credit, as she’d likely have chemistry with even a plank of wood.

There’s a parallel story going on with Mike and Sharon Combs (Halle Berry), an insurance broker for upscale clients. She’s always being pushed aside at work because of her age, despite having been there for over ten years. Sharon’s struggle with ageism highlights the misogyny present in a mostly male-dominated field. The eternally stunning 59-year-old Berry portrays a 53-year-old woman who finds herself competing against a much younger female coworker. But honestly, when you have someone like Berry in the role, it’s tough to believe that even someone half her age could hold a candle to her, especially in that revealing outfit she wears to win over her rich client. This might just be the best role I’ve seen her in for quite some time.

Meanwhile, detective Lou (Mark Ruffalo) is hot on the trail of the Freeway 101 bandit. Lou runs into Sharon since the jeweler (Payman Maadi), who got robbed earlier in the film, is one of her clients. But later on, there’s a triangular link between her, Lou, and Mike, although the movie takes a little while to get to that point. Apparently, the role was initially offered to Pedro Pascal, but he had a scheduling issue. Honestly, I think Ruffalo is a better fit for the part as a grizzled, worn-out detective who doesn’t get much respect from his colleagues.

The introduction of Ormon (Barry Keoghan) under Money’s guidance brings a burst of chaotic energy. Ormon’s heist approach is way more aggressive than Mike’s; it’s borderline psychopathic. Keoghan is such a loose cannon in this role that he makes me anxious every time he appears. I have to say, the casting is quite amusing; Tate Donovan plays Sharon’s irritatingly wealthy client, but what’s most puzzling is seeing Jennifer Jason Leigh in a blink-and-you-miss-it role.

The script by Layton does wander a bit, and the choppy editing can make it tough to keep up at times. I do appreciate that there’s adequate character development for the protagonist and props for including a feminist angle without falling into the usual femme-fatale stereotype. By the third act, all these eclectic characters come together with a multi-million dollar payout at stake. In a noir, it’s no surprise they dive into moral gray areas, with little white lies that blur the lines between heroes and villains. Layton strays from the typical dark, fatalistic ending we often see in this genre, opting for a more hopeful conclusion.

Crime 101 is visually stunning; Erik Wilson’s cinematography is both moody and vibrant, and I’m glad I got to experience it on the big screen. I enjoyed the constantly tense, pulsating electronic score by Blanck Mass, who recently worked on a fantastic noir-western, She Rides Shotgun. I like that the film isn’t overly violent and there’s a good balance of action and quiet moments. I do love a thrilling car chase, though, so it’s exciting to watch the car and motorcycle chase filmed at night through the streets of LA. It’s not often you see a solid thriller come out early in the year, but then again, Soderbergh’s fantastic spy thriller Black Bag was released in March.

As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Crime 101 does a great job paying tribute to Mann’s classic noirs. It definitely makes me look forward to Heat 2 even more, which likely won’t be out until 2028. Despite its imperfections, this is a solid film that’s well-acted throughout. I wouldn’t mind watching it again when it hits streaming, as I missed some details. I highly recommend this if you’re into heist or noir films.

Have you seen CRIME 101? I’d love to hear your thoughts!