Crime 101: Neo-Noir At Its Most Basic

10 years on from Blackhat (2015), Chris Hemsworth returns to a labyrinthine world of crime as the lead in Bart Layton’s Crime 101. With a neo-noir tone, a sleek L.A. setting and a cop versus criminal plot, Layton’s adaptation of the novella of the same name takes a page from Michael Mann’s oeuvre but struggles to pull off a heist movie with any real style.

Hemsworth plays Mike Davis, the assumed name of a prolific jewelry thief making the rounds up and down California’s Highway 101. He has his heists down to a fine art; completed with care and without violence. But after an unexpected upset to his latest theft shakes his usual steady calm, his fence, Money (Nick Nolte, always a strong presence on screen) turns to Ormon, a young, unstable biker (Barry Keoghan, hair bleached and neck tattooed) to do his dirty work—undermining Mike and threatening the whole enterprise.

In the opening scenes, we’re introduced not just to Mike but also Sharon (Halle Berry), an insurance broker for the ultra-elite, whose affirmation podcast soundtracks the morning routines of both them and LAPD Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo, yet another rumpled cop character.) It’s a nifty enough setup and one that marks the clear differences between Mike and Sharon’s luxe, money-driven lifestyles and Lou’s sad-sack, middle-class existence. Lou is quickly losing the respect of not only his wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh, used awkwardly in a brief subplot about their estrangement) but the rest of the police force, who disregard his theory that the ongoing robberies up and down Route 101 might be connected. Meanwhile, Sharon is repeatedly rebuffed in her attempts at securing a key promotion at work by her chauvinistic male bosses, leaving her ripe for the taking as an accomplice for Mike’s next big job.

There’s a fair amount that works in Crime 101. Under Layton’s direction, L.A. comes to life as a silvery underworld. He takes us from crowded late-night markets and lively taco joints to austere beach condos and opulent high-rises, and there’s an energy to each. The heists themselves are deeply satisfying to watch, with Mike’s deliberate maneuvers to get what he wants and slick high-speed escapes by car. It makes a noted contrast when Ormon takes on a heist with a berserk and manic energy, and his violence at the scenes of the crimes is visceral in impact and by far the most dynamic performance out of the entire cast.

But Crime 101 isn’t just a thriller—it’s angling to also bring its ensemble cast to the fore with a character-driven, multi-story plot. Unfortunately, Layton seems to forget that the key to a meaningful character is writing a character with meaning. As the protagonist, Mike receives the deepest characterization, but even that fails to go far enough. He’s a true enigma, a man who’s erased his history—one of juvenile delinquency, poverty, and hinted-at trauma resulting in a foster care placement—and focuses single-mindedly on searching for the “right amount” of money. Despite his apparent wealth, he still lacks a sense of security or contentment. When he meets Maya (Monica Barbaro), a sweet, normal woman who’s drawn to Mike despite his shroud of mystery, the fault lines in his disconnect from both his past and the outside world start to show. It’s in the moments where Mike struggles between his desire to connect with Maya and his inability to open up that Hemsworth sells his character as one to care about. 

Ultimately, though, there’s no meaningful resolution to this inner battle, and his story arc is weighed down by that of the other, less filled out characters. Ruffalo’s character could be interchangeable with any of his other mid-life-crisis law enforcement roles. His primary struggle throughout the movie is with the apparently changing police department that he works for, one that covers up officer shootings and values clearance rates over solving crimes (Lou must either be very dumb, or very oblivious, to be this caught off guard by corruption after a career in the LAPD, but I digress.) When his questioning of illegal coverups results in his being suspended, however, there’s no meaningful impact on either his outlook or his dogged attempt to track down the 101 robber. And while Berry seems to have the most fun with her character, she’s hampered predictable story arc and cliché #girlboss monologues.

Layton may set up an intricate, interconnecting plot, but muddled character studies and a loss of tension as the movie drags on means its threads of ideas lead Crime 101 nowhere in particular.

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