TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Amazon MGM Studios Releases "Spaceballs" Sequel Teaser Poster and Synopsis

Credit Amazon MGM Studios:

Amazon MGM Studios has released a teaser poster and official synopsis for its 2027 film, "Spaceballs: The New One." It is the sequel to director Mel Brooks' 1987 comedy film, "Spaceballs."

The new Spaceballs movie is written by Josh Gad, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit (with Mel Brooks’ blessing). Josh Greenbaum is directing. The film is being produced by Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer, Jeb Brody, Mel Brooks, Josh Gad, Josh Greenbaum, and Kevin Salter.

Key original cast members: Mel Brooks, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, George Wynder, and Daphne Zuniga, are returning for the sequel. New characters are being portrayed by Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman, and Anthony Carrigan.

Spaceballs: The New One Official Synopsis (Credit Amazon MGM Studios):

"Somehow, Dark Helmet has returned! 40 years after the events of the first Spaceballs, 50 years after the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, and 1 year after the events of The Devil Wears Prada 2, the galaxy is once again under threat. A threat so evil, so unstoppable, so completely lacking in any original ideas, that it has vowed to bring back the past… every last bit of it.

With Lone Starr in hiding, Queen Vespa on the throne, and the Schwartz stretched thinner than a franchise releasing TV episodes theatrically, the only hope for the galaxy is Vespa's undisciplined son, Prince Starburst, and a mysterious Palace advisor named Destiny. Together, they must find Lone Starr, Yogurt, and any other iconic legacy characters fans are demanding before they discover the hard way that, while some threats you can fight, the reboot is not one of them."

The film is due in theaters April 23, 2027.

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Saturday, July 11, 2026

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 11th, 2026 - UPDATE #11

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?: There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

STAGE - From Deadline: Dwayne Johnson says that he has been working on a revival of the Broadway classic, "The Odd Couple," with friend Kevin Hart has his costar. "The Odd Couple" is a play written by the late Neil Simon (1927-2018) that premiered on Broadway in 1965.

EMMYS - From Variety: The nominations for the 2026 / 78th Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS). Honoring the best of American primetime television, the eligibility period covers June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026. The winners of the 78th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be announced September 5 and 6, 2026. The winners at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced during a ceremony on September 14, 2026. The HBO Max medical drama, "The Pitt," leads with 25 nominations.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Jennifer Beals, Jacqueline Byers, Shane Harper, and Devin Druid are join LL Cool J and Scott Caan in "NCIS: New York."

MOVIES - From WorldofReel: Director, co-writer, producer, and star Bradley Cooper's "Ocean's Eleven" prequel, adds new cast. Joining the film are Vicky Krieps, Omar Sy, George Mackay, and Lauren Ridloff.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 7/3 to 7/5/2026 weekend box office is Universal/Illumination Entertainment's "Minions & Monsters" with an estimated take of 36.4 million dollars.

AMAZON-MGM - From TheWrap: Michael Mann will start shooting "Heat 2," the prequel and sequel to his 1995 film, "Heat," in November. Christian Bale will play "Vincent Hanna," the dogged LAPD Robbery Homicide detective played by Al Pacino in the original film, while Leonard DiCaprio will play Chris Shiherlis, who was played by the late Val Kilmer. The film was picked up by Amazom MGM Studios after Warner Bros. dropped out because of the film's budget.

AMAZON - From Deadline: The recent Ryan Gosling super-hit, "Project Hail Mary," arrives on Amazon Prime Video Friday, July 3rd, 2026.

CELEBRITY - From Variety: Revered film actor and five-time Emmy nominated television actor, Danny Glover, has revealed that he has been living with Alzheimer's disease for the past few years. In an interview with NBC's Lester Holt, Glover revealed that he was diagnosed shortly before he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which bestows the Academy Awards/Oscars.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel: Director David Robert Mitchell is prepping "They Follow," the sequel to his 2014 horror film, "It Follows." His composer on the original film, Disasterpeace," is returning for the sequel.

OBITS:

From THR: The American television, film, and theater actor, Randolph Mantooth, has died at the age of 80, Thursday, July 9, 2026. Mantooth was best known for the role of "Johnny Gage," on the former NBC action-adventure, medical drama, "Emergency!" (1972-77), and in six TV movies based on the series in 1978 and 1979. He was a prolific guest star in numerous TV series from the 1970s into the 2000s. Mantooth also had roles in several daytime soap operas, including two stints on the former ABC soap opera, "Loving" (1987-90, 1993-95). He also appeared in "General Hospital" and "As the World Turns."

From Variety: Welsh singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Bonnie Tyler, has died at the age of 75, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Tyler is best known for her 1983 #1 hit, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and "Holding Out for a Hero," which was included on the soundtrack of the 1984 hit film, "Footloose." Her other big U.S. hit was the 1977 single, "It's a Heartache." Tyler was a three-time Grammy Award nominee.

From People: American television producer and writer, Wilford Lloyd Baumes, has died at the age of 86, Sunday, June 28, 2026. Baumes created the long-running former ABC romantic comedy-drama, "The Love Boat" (1977-86). Baumes was also a producer on Season 1 of the former ABC superhero drama, "Wonder Woman" (1976-77) and an executive producer on the first six episodes of Season 2 (1977).

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Saturday, July 4, 2026

Comics Review: 2026 "SAVAGE TALES #1" is the Sh*t if I Do Say So Myself

SAVAGE TALES #1 (2026)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone

ART: Mariano Benitez Chapo; Pasqual Qualano; Sebastian Piriz

COLORS: Ome Remalante, Jr.

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

COVER: Bjorn Barends

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Bjorn Barends

40pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (April 2026)

Rated Teen+

Savage Tales is the title of an anthology comic book series that has been used by both Dynamite Entertainment and Marvel Comics (twice). Dynamite recently brought its version back as a series of occasionally-published one-shots.

The 2026 edition of Savage Tales #1 has four short stories, all written by David Avallone, a master of the comics short story. These stories feature Gullivar of Mars (“His War Chapter Four” drawn by Mariano Benitez Chapo); Red Sonja (“The Code” drawn by Pasqual Qualano); Allan Quatermain (“Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” drawn by Sebastian Piriz); and Vampirella (“The Old Country Trigger” drawn by Mariano Benitez Chapo). All four stories are colored by Ome Remalante, Jr., and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.

I will summarize and review each story individually.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, the marketing department at Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is the 2026 edition of Savage Tales #1, which is one of several Savage Tales titles that I have reviewed.

Captain Gullivar of Mars: “His War: Chapter Four” by Avallone and Benitez-Chapo:

Captain Gullivar Jones is based on the character, Lt. Gulllivar Jones, that first appeared in the novel, Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, which was written by Edwin Lester Arnold and was published in 1905. Writer David Avallone has been reworking the character over the past few years.

“His War” finds Jones returned to Mars – 20 years after he left it to its fate – via his magic carpet, “Ditan Yunshu. What he finds is a disaster, and his once “luminous princess” is now the embittered one-eyed Princess Heru. Determined to fix all that went wrong because he left, Capt. Gullivar Jones must make a most amazing journey – one that may well become his final journey.

Avallone has a deft touch with vintage and classic characters, and because of author Edwin Lester Arnold's influence on the science fiction sub-genre, “planetary romance,” Gullivar Jones is both vintage and classic. I thought “His War: Chapter Three” was Avallone's best work at that point in the serial, but for Chapter Four, I must use the phrase “blown away.” I am honestly blown away by Chapter Four, which finds Avallone unleashing 16 pages of thrill, chills, and savage surprises.

Artist Benitez Chapo's storytelling is a two-fisted celebration of old-timey science fiction. Chapo offers aggression, passion, and determination, and it all explodes off the pages thanks to Omi Remalante, Jr's raw coloring. The experience of reading this reminds me of why I like comics because Avallone and Chapo left me feeling dazed. I felt cross-eyes after reading this true adventure gem.

Red Sonja: “The Code” by Avallone and Qualano:

“The Code” opens in the city of “Bukhrosha” on the evening of the second day of the “Bukhroshan Revolution.” A man referring to himself as a merchant hires Red Sonja to get him out of the city, which is in the throes of a murderous rampages against the nobility. But there is more to this merchant's story, and it will test the She-Devil with a Sword's fidelity to “the code.”

David Avallone is good at Red Sonja – really damn good. When I read his Sonja stories, I feel the experience of reading about a genuine female character with as much depth of character and emotion as she has skill with a blade. Pasqual Qualano's beautiful art and storytelling is clever, brutal, and lethal without slathering on violence. I enjoyed the hell out of reading “The Code.”

"Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” by Avallone and Piriz:

The story opens in June 1932 aboard the cargo vessel, the “SS Cyclops.” There, Marlowe, a passenger, tells the ship's captain a tale of the legendary English big game hunter whose adventures occur in southern Africa. Marlowe's tale is one told to him by a World War I German soldier whose military unit finds itself in conflict with that great hunter, Allan Quatermain, after they seek refuge in his South African estate.

“Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” is one of the best stories featuring the character that I have ever read. Once again, Avallone proves that he is as deft with Victorian characters as he is with vintage American pulp characters. Sebastian Piriz's art creates a ghost story so potent that I thought I was being dragged into the Germans' tragic fate. What a powerful tale, y'all. I'm horny for it.

Vampirella: “The Old Country Trigger” by Avallone and Benitez-Chapo:

“The Old Country Trigger” opens in New York City where NYPD Officer Ana Reyes seeks help from Vampirella. The target is John Trigger a.k.a. “The Old Country Trigger,” and he's a vampire. Officer Reyes wants Vampirella's help in destroying Trigger, but, of course, it is going to be just a tad bit more complicated than even Vampirella expects.

Avallone and Mariano Benitez-Chapo do the buddy-cop thing with “The Old Country Trigger,” and honestly, I'd like to see Vampirella and Ana Reyes team-up again. Here, writer and artist are macabre dance partners in producing this delightful performance of dark fantasy storytelling. In fact, I could see it in a longer form as a graphic novel. They give this narrative, the characters, and the settings room to breath and to move and groove. This is a gem of a short story.

If I had to reluctantly pick my favorite story in Savage Tales #1 (2026), it would indeed be a reluctant process. As I don't have to, let's have fun with it, dear readers. I'm going with “Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” as my favorite in this box of dazzling tales. Still, I think you, dear readers, should buy a copy of this comic book and decide for yourself.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of anthology comic books who are looking for a collection full of great stories will want to read Savage Tales #1 (2026).

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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Wednesday, July 1, 2026

A Negromancer July 2026

Welcome to July 2026. Welcome to Negromancer 2.0. This is the rebirth of the Negromancer, the former movie review site, as a movie review and entertainment and culture news blog.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademarks of their respective owners.

While you're at it, have AnotherCookie.

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Also, my first original graphic novel, THE WRATH OF KARAPACE: A BIG SPIRITS EPIC, which is published by Candle Light Press. Co-created by Carter J. Allen, (Warning Comics), The Wrath of Karapace is now on sale at Amazon and Barnes and Noble online.

Other online shops that are selling "The Wrath of Karapace" include the following:

- AmazonUK;

- Bookshop.org;

- ElmStreetBooks;

- the German book shop, OrrellFussli;

- Powells.com;

- Russell Books.com;

- SuperBookDeals.com;

- Walmart online.

Of note, The Wrath of Karapace is also available on eBay from a few different sellers.

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"The Wrath of Karapace" also a "Google Books" listing.

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Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 21st to 30th, 2026 - UPDATE #9

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?: There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline: After several weeks of rumors, backstage drama, firings, etc., Tom Hardy is returning for Season 3 of the Paramount+ crime drama, "MobLand."

BUSINESS - From THR: Comcast has announced plans to separate its tech business from NBCUniversal, including its European media business, "Sky." The move, which will take place in 2027, will create two companies Last year, Comcast did a spinoff of NBCUniversal's cable units, including CNBC and MSNBC, into a new company, Versant.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 6/26 to 6/28/2026 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 5" with an estimated take 70 million dollars.

NETFLIX - From Variety: Once at odds, "Stranger Things" star, Millie Bobbi Brown and David Harbour will reunite for a new Netflix series about father-daughter spies. The new series comes from Jack Thorne, the creator of Netflix hits, "Adolescence" and "Lord of the Flies."

MOVIES - From Deadline: Focus Features has dropped a first-look image of star Aaron Taylor-Johnson in director Robert Eggers' "Werwulf," which is due Dec. 25th, 2026.

AMAZON - From Deadline: Deadline's rumor column, "The Dish," says that the next round of auditions to choose an actor to play "James Bond" for Amazon MGM Studios and director Denis Villeneuve takes place in August 2026.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 6/19 to 6/21/2026 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 5" with an estimated take of 160 million dollars.

STREAMING - From Deadline: Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to "Dungeon Crawler Carl," a live-action series adaptation of Matt Dinniman’s popular science fantasy "LitRPG" (role-playing game) books of the same title. The project comes from Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door and Universal Global Television. Dinniman, who serves as co-executive producer on the series, announced the pickup on social media.

OBITS:

From Deadline: American visual effects artist, Jeff Olson, has died at the age of 77, Sunday, June 21, 2026. Olson is best known for his work with Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). Olson started at ILM in 1985 and early on was a model maker on such films as "Howard the Duck" (1986), "Willow" (1988), "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), and "Ghostbusters II" (1989), to name a few. Olson received his first "visual effects producer" credit on "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996), and received the credit on such films as "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (1999), "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (2003), "Eragon" (2006), and "Star Trek" (2009), to name a few. Olson left ILM in 2009.

From RollingStone: American music and record executive and record producer, Clive Davis, has died at the age of 94, Monday, June 22, 2026. Clive Davis founded Arista Records and J Records He helped shape the careers of legendary recording artists such as Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Janis Joplin, Barry Manilow, and Alicia Keys, to name a few. As a record producer, Davis won five Grammy Awards, including "Album of the Year" (1994) for Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album" (1992). Davis was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 2000 as a non-performer.

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Saturday, June 27, 2026

Comics Writer Austin Allen Hamblin Talks "BIG GUNS STUPID REDNECKS" Collection

An Austin Allen Hamblin Interview by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. “I Reads You”

Austin Allen Hamblin is a comic book creator, writer, journalist, and publisher. He has self-published a number of his comics works, including “The Adventures of Punk and Rock" (2014-16) and “Smile if You Farted" (2021-25). Hamblin has also appeared in the “Stairway Anthology” from Image Comics/Top Cow Productions (2020) and “Wizerd #2” from Cosmic Lion Productions (2022). He and I both had work in Carter Allen's “Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1” from Candle Light Press (2022).

July 22, 2026 sees the release of the “BIG GUNS STUPID REDNECKS” trade paperback (Source Point Press), which collects Hamblin's three-issue miniseries, “Big Guns Stupid Rednecks” (Band of Bards). It was written by Hamblin; drawn and colored by Mariana Meira; and lettered by John Ira Thomas. The final order cutoff (FOC) date for the TPB in comic book shops is Monday, June 29, 2026. I have included the order numbers below this Q&A.

Hamblin consented to answer a few questions for a “Negromancer Q&A.”

You can preorder the BIG GUNS STUPID REDNECKS trade paperback at Amazon.

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I READS YOU: Austin, please introduce yourself to readers.

HAMBLIN: I am a staff writer at CBR. I have written comics for Image Comics, Source Point Press, Cosmic Lion Productions, Orange Cone Productions, and Candle Light Press. I'm just a guy from small town Iowa who loves comic books and is too stubborn to quit making them. I like to make weird off-the-wall fun comics.

I READS YOU: What are the plot, settings, and characters of “BIG GUNS STUPID REDNECK” (BGSR)?

HAMBLIN: The short version is that aliens are abducting rednecks and forcing them into laser gun gladiatorial combat for inter-gatical cable's newest hit show “Big Guns Stupid Rednecks.”

It is really a story about two brothers. Retired detective Clint looks into his white trash brother Clay's disappearance only to get abducted and find out Clay is the reigning BGSR champion with 27 kills.

I READS YOU: I like everything about BGSR, especially the twist that really upends the hero/villain dynamic. When you were developing BGSR, what did you think readers would like the most?

HAMBIN: Really the main thing I wanted was to catch people off guard and hope they have fun while reading it. Don't get me wrong. I love life-changing stories, but sometimes you just need to shut your brain off and enjoy some cool fights. What happens in Clint and Clay's fight is something people either love or hate, and there is no wrong answer.

I READS YOU: Artist-colorist Mariana Meira's clean storytelling and graphic design makes BGSR seem like both a traditional science fiction tale and a modern video game thriller. Did Meira's storytelling affect how you developed the series?

HAMBLIN: For sure. When we did the single issues I had a pitch, but no script. So when we ended up together and started chatting I was able to put in things I knew she would be excited about. I'm totally OK with things being changed from my script as long as it makes the comic better. She came back to me with some different ideas a few times which made it into the finished comic.

I READS YOU: Is there a future for the BGSR? Why or why not?

HAMBLIN: This is an interesting question for sure. There are definitely more stories which can be told in this universe. I don't see us ever diving back into Clint or Clay's story again (though they may appear), but there are ideas. Really it's just a matter of the right timing. Mari was doing an art restoration program in Italy which she just got back from. She's busy, and I've been doing my thing making comics and writing for Comic Book Resources. It will happen for sure, but nothing is in the works right now.

I READS YOU: What upcoming work can readers can expect from you?

HAMBLIN: Nothing I can talk about... yet.

I READS YOU: Thank you, Austin. Below is all the information you need to help you purchase the Big Guns Stupid Rednecks trade paperback and get to know Austin Allen Hamblin.

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LUNAR DISTRIBUTORS' LISTING FOR “BIG GUNS STUPID REDNECK” TPB:

(W) Austin Allen Hamblin (A) Mariana Meira (L) John Ira Thomas (CA) Kurt Belcher

After a string of unexplained disappearances in the southern parts of the United States, retired detective Clint searches for his white trash brother. While trying to solve the mystery of his brother's disappearance, Clint ends up being abducted... by aliens! He is now in the arena for Big Guns, Stupid Rednecks, intergalactic cable's newest hit show, which puts humans in blaster gun gladiatorial combat, and his brother is the reigning champion with 27 kills! From the minds of Austin Allen Hamblin and Mariana Meira, BIG GUNS, STUPID REDNECKS is a fast-paced social commentary full of rednecks blowing each other up with lasers. This trade paperback collects, for the first time ever, all three issues of the hit indie comic with loads of new bonus material.

Retail: $19.99

Initial Due Date: 5/28/2026

FOC Date: 6/29/2026

In-Store Date: 7/22/2026

ISBN: 9798888760468

Page Count: 100

Product Code: 0526PP1136

Dear readers, the Big Guns Stupid Rednecks trade paperback collection arrives July 22, 2026. The final order cutoff for comic book shops is June 29, 2026.

The order number for stores that get their comic books from Lunar Distribution is 0526PP1136.

The order number for stores that get their comic books from Universal Distribution is PRA04260007.

There is also a signed edition of the Big Guns Stupid Rednecks trade paperback autographed by writer Austin Allen Hamblin that is available at Starfighter Comics: https://www.starfightercomics.com/.]

You can visit all of Austin Allen Hamblin's pertinent websites via his Linktree page: https://linktr.ee/austinallenhamblin. Hamblin continues to writer for CBR and you can find that work on his CBR profile page: https://www.cbr.com/author/austin-hamblin/.

Review: Big Guns Stupid Rednecks #1

Review: Big Guns Stupid Rednecks #2

Review: Big Guns Stupid Rednecks #3

BIG GUNS STUPID REDNECKS PREVIEW PAGES:

THE END

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Sunday, June 21, 2026

Review: "CRIME 101" is an L.A. Crime Film Delight

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 of 2026 (No. 2056) by Leroy Douresseaux

Crime 101 (2026)

Running time: 140 minutes (2 hours, 20 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.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, June 21, 2026

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