TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 of 2026 (No. 2056) by Leroy Douresseaux
Crime 101 (2026)
Running time: 140 minutes
Rating: MPA – R for language throughout, some violence and sexual material/nudity
DIRECTOR: Bart Layton
WRITER: Bart Layton (based on the novella by Don Winslow)
PRODUCERS: Bart Layton, Tim Bevan, Dimitri Doganis, Eric Fellner, Benjamin Grayson, Chris Hemsworth, Shane Salerno, and Derrin Schlesinger
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Erik Alexander Wison (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Julian Hart and Jacob Secher Schulsinger
COMPOSER: Blanck Mass
ACTION/THRILLER
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tate Donovan, and Corey Hawkins, with Nick Nolte and Halle Berry
SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:
Crime 101 is one of the most beautifully photographed films that I have seen in the last several years. Los Angeles looks a jewel
Writer-director Bart Layton gets the best from his four leads: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. This quartet make their character's desires and problems seem genuine
Crime 101 is a true modern Neo-Noir film and a very special L.A. crime story
Crime 101 is a 2026 crime thriller and drama film from writer-director Bart Layton. The film is based based on “Crime 101,” one of six interconnected novellas from Broken, a 2020 book from author Don Winslow. Crime 101 the film focuses on an elusive thief whose last big score connects him to an insurance broker, a relentless detective, and a violent young biker
Crime 101 opens in Los Angeles, the home and base of operations of four people about to be violently brought together. Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is an elusive and disciplined jewel thief, carefully planning robberies to avoid violence and leaving DNA evidence behind him. However, Mike finally runs into a complication during a jewelry heist that almost costs him his life. Sensing that Mike might be finished because of this close call, his fence, “Money” (Nick Nolte), enlists a violent young biker, Ormond (Barry Keoghan), to replace him.
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) has been tracking a series of unsolved robberies and links Mike's diamond theft to these unsolved cases. Although few in the LAPD accept Lou's theory that a lone suspect is responsible for these crimes, Lou sticks to his theories and becomes obsessed with catching Mike.
Meanwhile, high-end insurance broker, Sharon Coombs (Halle Berry), discovers that her boss has found a new star broker, a woman who is way younger than Sharon's age of 53-years-old. Mike is using a hacker to get information on Sharon in the hopes of finding his next big hit, a multi-million dollar heist that will be his final score before retiring. Mike, Ormond, Lou, and Sharon will come together in an explosive confrontation that will not have a happy ending for everyone.
When I find a movie that I think would work better as a television series – such as 2009's Brooklyns Finest, I usually end up not being crazy about that film. I think writer-director Bart Layton's Crime 101 would make an excellent TV series, but I am also crazy about Layton's film. It is a true Los Angeles crime story that takes the good, the bad, and the mundane of the L.A. and transform it into a riveting, entertaining, and beautiful film. Yes, I would be repulsed and scared if I saw the crimes depicted in this film played out in real life. This is cinema, however, and Crime 101 is so gloriously thrilling that it is the kind of cinema that draws me into its world.
[I suspect the film's source material, Don Winslow's “Crime 101” novella, is probably quite a good read. However, I've never read any of Winslow's work.]
Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Halle Berry have all played famous Marvel Comics characters in several films, and that is one of many reasons I love all three. Seeing Hemsworth and Berry on screen together is heavenly; damn, they'd make a pretty baby. Then, getting Ruffalo paired with Berry or Hemsworth in various scenes is enough to make love Crime 101 even if it were trash. Thankfully, it isn't treasure instead of trash.
Add in Barry Keoghan giving another one of his wacky-ass turns, and Crime 101 has a star quartet that turn Crime 101 into Neo-Noir, character-drama gem. These four performers give their characters' highs and lows dramatic heft. At first, I didn't think I'd buy into these characters, but as this narrative came together, the star cast, which includes two Oscar nominees (Ruffalo and Keoghan) and one Oscar winner (Berry), made me believe in them and their motivations.
I'd hate to ruin this film for those who have not seen it, but I thoroughly enjoyed Crime 101. The experience of watching it was a series of thrills and chills, as I always expected something to suddenly snuff out the lives of character to whom I'd grown attached. Plus, watching the film editor, director of photography, make-up and hair crew, costume department, and composer deliver super work really made me appreciate what film industry professionals can do. So I heartily recommend Bart Layton's L.A. diamond, Crime 101.
A
8 of 10
★★★★ out of 4 stars
Sunday, June 21, 2026
The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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