Crime 101 (2026): Subtle, Dark, and Really Cool

Chris Hemsworth plays an anxiety-ridden jewel thief in Crime 101 (2026), a Hollywood action thriller that was released to cinemas across the world on February 13^th, 2026. Written and directed by Bart Layton, with a runtime of 1 hour, 47 minutes, the film is based on the Don Winslow novel of the same name. It tells the stories of various characters in a city and how their lives intertwine around a notorious jewel thief.

Premise

In Los Angeles, Mike Davis operates as a meticulous and highly disciplined jewel thief, orchestrating his heists with precision to avoid violence and leave behind no DNA evidence, always making his getaway along U.S. Route 101. During one operation, he intercepts a diamond shipment rigged with decoys and manages to secure $3 million worth of genuine stones. However, the job rattles him when an unforeseen bullet grazes him. Shaken by the close call, Mike cancels a planned robbery in Santa Barbara, but his fence, Money, moves forward without him; bringing in the reckless and volatile and inexperienced young biker, Ormon, to take his place.

Los Angeles Police Department Detective Lou Lubesnick begins linking the recent diamond heist to a long-running series of unsolved high-end jewelry robberies. After reviewing crime scene records, surveillance blind spots, and the precise timing of each break-in, he observes a recurring pattern: little to no violence, careful removal of trace evidence, clean entry points, disabled alarms using technical skill, and an escape completed before patrol units can close in. Lou becomes convinced the crimes were committed by a single, highly disciplined lone operator, whom he refers to as the “101 Thief”—a patient and methodical planner capable of working alone. When he shares his theory, however, his superiors dismiss it, believing the robberies are more likely the work of an organized group. Frustrated but resolute, Lou continues pursuing his investigation, determined to prove a lone mastermind is responsible.

Meanwhile, Ormon botches the Santa Barbara job, his inexperience leading to a complicated robbery. Seeing this on the news, Mike confronts Money for using his plan without consent, to which Money explains that such a cutthroat business favors the fastest acts. Enraged, Mike cuts ties with Money, deciding to carry out one more on his own to prove a point. Money activates Ormon again to discreetly gain information about the next heist and carry it out before Mike does. This includes spying on Mike as he pays a hacker named Devon for information on a certain Sharon.

We are introduced to Sharon, a high-end insurance broker that struggles to sleep and often listens to guided meditation audios to relax (Mike does so as well, and they are often heard throughout the film). Sharon is jaded by her job and struggles with the misogyny that comes with both clients and her own colleagues, further escalated by the addition of a new, younger woman who manages to close a deal with a client that Sharon had been struggling with.

Chris-Hemsworth-and-Sharon-Halle-Berry-in-CRIME-101

Meanwhile, after dealing with loneliness due to his anxiety, Mike decides to date Maya, a stranger he’d met after a small accident, but his paranoid nature alongside his social awkwardness keeps him guarded and secretive, much to Maya’s frustration. Mike decides to focus on his job regarding Sharon and orchestrates meeting her on two separate occasions. During the second one, he reveals the true details of his job to her and asks for her help in the next heist. She vehemently refuses and reprimands him for stalking her. Lou, now divorced from his cheating wife decides to move to a beach house and take up yoga again, where he meets Sharon, completely by accident. Lou, unbeknownst to her, had discovered the car used in the heist from the beginning of the film, taking all DNA samples for testing – including a speck of blood found from the gunshot.

Sharon, frustrated with the fact that the young new recruit’s success serves as yet another deterrent to her promotion, while also being heavily criticized for her age, goes back to Mike. After giving him insider information about a sale and exchange of diamonds for Eleven Million Dollars in cash, she demands 3 million as her cut. Mike agrees, wary of the level of security that might be guarding such an exchange, but after hearing her reason for coming back to him despite telling him off earlier, he decides to go along.

However, she is soon attacked by Omron for that information, and she gives him in fear for her life. And when she returns to the yoga studio, she also gives Lou the info alongside Mike and Omron’s plans for it.

The rest of the movie spans the climax as both Lou and Mike, whose real name is revealed to be James, end up infiltrating the exchange leading to a face off alongside the wild card involvement of Omron, and Sharon makes a final decision about her job…and her life.

Cast and Performances

Chris Hemsworth as Mike/James Davis
Mark Ruffalo as Det. Lou Lubesnick
Barry Keoghan as Ormon
Halle Berry as Sharon
Nick Nolte as Money

It’s quite simple, really. With an all star cast like that, one can’t help but expect the best of the best when it comes to characters, performances, storytelling. And you can tell that each actor gave it everything they got (Keoghan was especially immersed in his reckless psycho role), but the script dialogue hardly provides a coherent space for these talents to really shine. And it’s hurtful too because the general plot is a unique spin on what we’re used to in heist-type movies. Nevertheless, I will give credit where it is due and applaud each actor. Unusually, I much adore the on-screen chemistry between Hemsworth and Berry. While they are not the on-screen couple, their interactions with each other are the only places where I don’t hate the dialogue as much. The subtle flirting in the beginning, the conversation during their second meeting where the past is brought into the picture, no other pairing gave me such a thrill to watch.

What I Liked and Disliked

I think this movie should’ve been a silent film.

Hear me out.

This plot was amazing. Like I said before, it’s a refreshingly unusual take on the modern crime thrillers where the main plot point is the zig zag of the heist plan and how it’s carried out in the climax (insert random plot twist that’s intended to make the mastermind look even cooler). This film feels almost…nostalgic in a way, reminiscent of the noir films of the 1940s-1950s (yes I’m very aware that I’m in no place to comment on the ‘nostalgia’ of that time period). It had everything that a classic noir possesses; dark late-night drives, a tortured (anti)hero, a femme fatale who is more than what she seems, an absolute wild card of a character, and morally grey struggles within law enforcement. The only thing missing were the occasional protagonist self-monologues that narrate everything we’re seeing in real time, but that was replaced by the audios of the self-meditation guides that Sharon and Mike both use to calm their nerves. Unfortunately, that ended up being a peeve of mine as it was a gimmick that got really old, really quickly. Combine that with a barely passable dialogue and you have a movie that looks great, but sounds really off. A part of me also wishes that they fully committed to the bit with its film noir elements (throw in a tragic ending or something.)

That aside, I cannot say that I didn’t enjoy this film. The dialogue isn’t horrendously bad or anything, it’s just a letdown from the absolute gem that this film is visually.

Final Thoughts

Is film noir back? I can’t say that was a particular prediction I had for Hollywood, but I will definitely take it. The multiple characters, the storytelling, the subtle action scenes, and a definitive ending. Crime 101 is exactly as it sounds, a crash course on the revival of a classic genre, and I, for one, am excited to see where it takes us.

I rate Crime 101 (2026): 3.5 out of 5

Our Rating of This Movie

Have you seen this film? What are your thoughts on Sharon’s character? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Author

Winifred Eze
Winnie is a business student by day and a writer by night, with a passion for movies and the art of storytelling. Whether it’s dissecting a film’s themes, exploring character arcs, or celebrating cinematic masterpieces, she loves diving deep into the magic of the big screen. She also strives to bring fresh perspectives and engaging discussions to fellow writers and readers.