Crime 101 turns out to be one of the better heist films that have been released in some time. It was written and directed by Bart Layton and was based on a novella by Don Wnslow.

Chris Hemsworth is in the lead and is joined by a formidable cast which includes Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, and Nick Nolte.

Hemsworth plays a scrupulous jewel thief named Mike who does his best to not actually injure anyone during his criminal escapades. He plans to retire after he hits a certain score and is pursued by a disheveled, yet relentless LAPD detective portrayed by Ruffalo. Halle Berry plays a frustrated insurance broker who eventually gets wrapped in the jewel thief’s latest heist. Mike’s plans to retire are complicated by a psychotic rival who is acting on behalf of their employer played by Nick Nolte.

This is one of those films where seemingly disparate characters are about to be intertwined in a catastrophic encounter which culminates in a bloody climax where everyone’s morals and boundaries get stretched to a breaking point.

The film has a lot going for it. The casting is quite effective. The three main actors, Hemsworth, Berry, and Ruffalo, are all compelling to watch. It was not entirely as predictable as it could have been and so many of these types of films are. The other significant characters were also interesting. Keoghan’s portrayal of the crazy biker was also pitched where he was actually pretty terrifying at times.

The movie did have some moments where it dragged a bit and could feel a little muddled due to the shifting of perspectives.

I thought it was pretty clever how the title was misleading in that one would think it had to with some kind of class. It really dealt with the close proximity to Highway 101 which runs through Los Angeles. If one is not familiar with the geography of L.A., it’s kind of a refreshing nugget of information.

There is kind of a modern noir feel to this film that I liked quite a bit, and the film had a sense of creativity that seems so rare in today’s cinematic selections.

Crime 101 is likely to be one of the better films to be released this year. It’s not likely to be a classic, but it’s a solid piece of filmmaking that ends up being worth the money.