One of the finest heist movies around is Michael Mann’s 1995 classic Heat. Set in Los Angeles, Mann uses the location as an integral part of the storytelling. We now have Crime 101, another heist thriller set in the City of Angels, which uses the legendary 101 freeway that runs along L.A.’s coast and is integral to the story. Many may think this is Heat-lite, and while it is heavily influenced by the Al Pacino and Robert De Niro movie, it has its own distinctive voice and leans on other great heist movies from the past.

Davis is a thief who has escaped the Los Angeles police by being meticulous in his execution: never leaving a clue, never using violence. The only connection is that they all happen along the 101 freeway. Lou, an embittered cop, has his theories, but his colleagues think he is wasting his time; he is determined to catch him. Davis uses different connections to get information about the moving of jewels and money from the super-rich, and turns his attention to an insurance agent, Sharon. What Davis doesn’t know is that his co-conspirator believes that he is going alone, and so throws into the game a young, violent biker to mess with Davis’s world.

Based on a novella by Don Winslow, writer and director Bart Layton, who wrote and directed the brilliantly twisted documentary The Imposter and the heist thriller American Animals, relishes his obvious love of the master thief trying to outwit everyone around him to get his ill-got gains. Layton has spoken about his love of Steve McQueen’s films, particularly Bullitt and The Thomas Crown Affair, and, alongside Heat, you can see the influence. This is a cool, smart, and exciting thriller that is very reminiscent of McQueen’s work.

Yet this is more than just a cops and robbers thriller. This has well-crafted characters, leaving room for all the main players to develop their roles and avoid becoming flat, one-dimensional caricatures. Each has an interesting backstory that shapes their actions and interactions with one another. It’s also about the state of Los Angeles, where one side of the road, the rich rule the roost, while the city is still populated by the poor. Unusual to see a film of this nature playing out social commentary, which is probably from Layton’s documentary background.

What makes the film work so well, apart from the smart script, decent performances and the underline commentary, is the use of electronic music, that sounds like it’s from the work of Mann in the 80s, as well as some beautiful cinematic shots from the upside-down shots of the city at night, to the close-ups within the cars during the set pieces, which not only feel like something from Bullitt but also The French Connection’s famous car chase.

If you think the film is going down one route, then Layton throws in the human time bomb in the form of Ormon, a bleach-blonde biker who is a brutal kid who is hired to follow Davis to see what his next move will be. It also has a brilliantly executed scene in which a cop and a thief share a car, both hiding behind the characters they play, yet having a conversation that nods to the film’s influences. It is a well-written sequence that works the same way the cafe scene in Heat works.

The cast is exceptional, with some great actors taking on smaller roles, such as Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tate Donovan, and Nick Nolte. In the lead, Chris Hemsworth seems to be perfectly suited to play the meticulous Davis, a man who spends hours before the crime, making sure he doesn’t leave even a strain of hair. He is quiet, nervous and lacking in confidence, even though he knows the job inside-out. Halle Berry is the older woman dealing with ageism in the workplace while being wooed by the smooth Davis. It’s good to see her play an interesting character deserving of an Oscar winner.

Mark Ruffalo can play the ruffled, gruffled downbeat man like no other, and he does it again with Lou, the cop obsessed with getting his man. Watching him, I suddenly realised that if they ever decided to remake Columbo, he would be perfect. Finally, there is Barry Keoghan as Ormon, and if anyone can play a dangerous nightmare, he is the man. Always unpredictable, he explodes with brutality as soon as he appears.

Crime 101 isn’t as solid as Heat, and it does rely a little on influences, but it’s a cracking watch with some decent set pieces and a cast who deliver. It’s a hard genre to conquer, but this manages to do it.

4 out of 5

Director: Bart Layton

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tate Donovan, Corey Hawkins, Patrick Mulvey

Written by: Bart Layton and (based on the novella) Don Winslow

Running Time: 139 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 13th February 2026