The new crime-noir film Crime 101, starring Halle Berry, Chris Hemsworth, and Marc Ruffalo, depicts a darker side of sunny LA. For three LA professionals, their careers have eclipsed the rest of their lives. Sharon Colvin (played by Halle Berry) is an ambitious insurance executive who finds herself in the middle of a cat & mouse between hard-boiled but elegant jewel thief Mike Davis (played by Chris Hemsworth), who has long eluded the police, including passionate and strait-laced detective Lou Lubesnick (played by Marc Ruffalo).
From the start, “Crime 101′ does a good job building tension in what will be a game-changing day for them all as their worlds collide. Colvin, ambitious in her career, notices her star is dimming at work, and contemplates an offer from Davis that challenges her morals but may finally let her put herself first. Davis’s ordered demeanor is shaken when a job goes wrong, revealing that underneath his smooth loner facade lies anxiety and poor interpersonal skills. Detective Lubesnick is a seemingly good detective trying to maintain his integrity in a corrupt system.
To some degree, they each rely on a sense of order, but are all reaching a boiling point where they’ll confront choices that go against their personal values. There’s a sense that they are the old guard feeling passed over for the new, younger generation. Barry Keoghanplays Ormon, a violent, impulsive young thief who upsets Davis’s sense of order and control. Ormon is led by their associate Money, played by Nick Nolte, to betray Davis. Davis’s world is also upset by Maya (played by Monica Barbaro), a love interest who intrigues him after a car accident. There’s enough substance in the plot and roles to let the characters unfold through mostly engaging performances. Nolte has just a few short scenes as Money, which makes the character feel too loosely connected to Davis’s history or goals.
The Maya character also seems tenuous in the story. She does, however, serve to make Davis think more about his own happiness, rather than just being driven by money. The timing of her appearance also made me question whether the accident that brought them together was a coincidence. I can appreciate that Crime 101 doesn’t constantly tell you what to think. It mostly shows the difficult, sometimes relatable choices these characters face and lets the audience decide how to feel about them. The LA setting contrasts homelessness with massive wealth, crime with systemic police corruption, and seems to ask how far you will go for money and success. Is there any balancing temptation or greed with ethics?
It’s also an interesting take on the players in a heist squad. Davis, the lone-wolf thief who uses technology to plan jobs, ultimately navigates the aid and hindrances of Colvin and Lubesnick. Sometimes a heist film is a flashy, sexy action ride led by a charming thief. Crime 101 does have a few chase scenes in muscle cars that help amplify tension. It’s cohesive and entertaining with a good cast and story that delivers more grit than flash. This film releases in theaters February 13, 2026. I rate it a (3/4) 🍿
