Crime 101 (2026): If You Like Your Crime Stories Sun-Bleached and Slightly Hollow

An elusive thief, eyeing his final score, encounters a disillusioned insurance broker at her own crossroads. As their paths intertwine, a relentless detective trails them hoping to thwart the multi-million dollar heist they are planning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5y-cziwmMw

I walked into Crime 101 with the kind of hope you only get from two things: a star-stacked cast and the delusional belief that I, too, could pull off a multi-million-dollar jewel heist if I just watched enough movies and wore enough neutral colors.

Right away, let’s get the boring-but-useful facts out of the way so your group chat can stop arguing: Crime 101 is rated R, and it’s built around a classic three-lane freeway structure - thief, broker, detective - headed toward the same inevitable pile-up.

And yes, the “101” part isn’t some cute branding exercise. This thing is aggressively L.A.-coded - sun, asphalt, expensive glass buildings, and that weird local religion where everyone acts like a green smoothie is morally superior to coffee. (Somebody in Los Angeles just heard me say that and is now cleansing my aura from three thousand miles away.)

The plot setup - no spoilers, relax - is basically this: there’s an elusive thief eyeing what feels like his final score, a disillusioned insurance broker staring down her own crossroads, and a relentless detective who thinks he’s cracked the pattern and wants to stop the whole operation before the big job goes down. That is not me making it up; that’s the public-facing pitch in multiple places, and honestly, it’s a strong hook.

Now, what I liked.

First, the performances. The cast is the major highlight across the board - one of those ensembles where even the supporting roles feel like somebody’s “Oscar reel” opportunity. And in a crime movie, that matters, because if you don’t care about the people, the heist becomes a screensaver with better lighting. Here, the acting keeps you locked in even when the story decides it wants to take a scenic route.

Mark, in particular, is doing his best Columbo impersonation - and I mean that as a compliment. He’s got that rumpled-detective vibe where you can practically hear the internal monologue: “Just one more thing… why does everyone in this city look like they have a headshot and a secret?” It’s an old-school detective energy that fits the film’s throwback ambitions.

Halle is always a great performer - period. And what’s interesting is how much the character’s frustration (professional, personal, existential) becomes part of the movie’s tension. There’s a very current, very adult anxiety humming under the surface: the dread of being underestimated, passed over, and told (politely) that your best days are behind you. One of the reasons this movie works at all is because she plays that frustration like it’s a loaded firearm sitting in the glove compartment.

Also: I loved how the story points actually do what a crime movie is supposed to do - eventually. The whole “separate trajectories that converge” thing isn’t just a trailer promise. You can feel the film tightening the screws until the various threads intersect in a way that’s satisfyingly tense. No details, no spoilers, just the vibe: it hits that classic “everything we’ve been watching is about to collide” pressure-cooker moment, and I’m always a sucker for that.

Now, what I didn’t like.

The pacing at the start is… patient. Maybe too patient. The movie opens like it’s trying to lull you into a meditative trance before it steals your wallet. Which is thematically clever, sure - but I still found myself thinking, “Okay, we get it, everyone wakes up, everyone has feelings, can we rob something now?” Even some professional critics have clocked the slow-burn shape here, so I don’t feel completely alone on my little island of impatience.

And then there’s Chris having a hard time with the ladies, which - look - I’m willing to suspend disbelief for a lot. I’ve accepted time travel. I’ve accepted superheroes. I’ve accepted the entire concept of cryptocurrency. But watching Chris Hemsworth struggle romantically like he’s an awkward substitute teacher at prom? That was a bridge too far for me. The movie wants him to be more grounded and less invincible, and I respect the intent. Still. Certain things in life are facts, like gravity, taxes, and the reality that Chris Hemsworth probably cannot walk into a room without at least three people forgetting their own names.

I also hate loose ends. Hate them. I don’t want to leave a theater feeling like the movie just shrugged and said, “Anyway, you figure it out.” A few threads here don’t feel fully cleaned up by the end. Not enough to ruin the experience, but enough to make my brain do that annoying thing where it starts filing paperwork instead of enjoying the credits.

And here’s the bigger knock: there isn’t much moral center. It felt empty and hollow in that modern, expensive way - a beautifully designed house where nobody lives. Some of that emptiness may be intentional (crime stories can be bleak, I get it), but I wanted something - a point, a sting, a bruise that lasts. Instead, it occasionally plays like a high-end catalog of bad decisions photographed in perfect lighting.

Also, the film can be a little heavy-handed with clues. A few times it felt like it was bonking you on the forehead with “IMPORTANT DETAIL!” instead of trusting you to connect dots like a functioning adult. Even the big-city papers have basically made the same complaint in fancier words (“subtle as a sledgehammer” energy), so again: I feel seen.

One last fun piece of trivia you can drop at brunch to sound cultured while eating pancakes: this cast is legitimately awards-decorated - Halle is an Oscar winner, and Ruffalo, Keoghan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte are Oscar nominees. That’s the kind of résumé you normally only see in prestige dramas where everyone whispers and stares out windows. Here they’re clocking each other in a crime thriller, which is honestly more fun.

And if you’re into Hollywood what-ifs: Pedro Pascal was originally linked to Ruffalo’s role before scheduling conflicts forced a swap. I’m not saying the multiverse is real… but I am saying someone out there has a version of this movie where that happened, and they’re probably insufferable about it.

So, should you see it?

If you miss adult-oriented, mid-budget crime thrillers that actually look like they were shot in a real city with real texture, yes. If you’re here for performances, absolutely yes. If you need a tight, perfectly paced first act and a story that ties off every single ribbon, you might find yourself doing some light internal complaining - like I did - while still being entertained.

Ranking 6.9 /10

Hashtags: #Crime101 #HeistMovie #ChrisHemsworth #MarkRuffalo #HalleBerry #BarryKeoghan #MovieReview #CrimeThriller #NoSpoilers #InTheatersNow