Crime 101 is one of those movies that I meant to get around to watching in the theatre, but I never did. Then, out of nowhere, it showed up on Amazon Prime, so I was able to watch it there. This must have had a fairly short theatrical window. I remember seeing trailers for it pretty frequently throughout December and January, and I thought that it looked cool, but I could just not fit it in.
Where to Watch Crime 101
Crime 101 was released on February 13, 2026. You can stream the film from Amazon Prime Video.
The Movie Review
I actually had no idea until after I had seen the movie, when I was doing my usual deep dive that I do when I like a movie, that Crime 101 is actually based on a book. Brought to us by Bart Layton, who previously did the awesome American Animals, along with an all-star cast, Crime 101 was a tense and fun thrill ride that I really enjoyed.
Going into this, with only the trailer as my frame of reference, I thought that this was going to be a straight-up heist movie, but that is not really the case. Sure, there are heist elements here, and there are even a few robberies, but I would say that this falls just as much into crime thriller territory as it does a heist movie.
Chris Hemsworth as Master Thief Mike in Crime 101
Chris Hemsworth plays the role of a master jewel thief called Mike. Mike is the ultimate professional, planning his heists with extreme precision. Going as far as to make sure that his hair is super short, his skin flakes have been shed, and that his nails are clipped. He goes above and beyond to make sure that he does not leave any evidence behind!
Mark Ruffalo’s Detective Lou Lubesnick and the Route 101 Investigation
Despite this, Mark Ruffalo’s detective Lou Lubesnick of the LAPD has noticed a connection with several high end robberies in the LA area, and that connection is Route 101. None of his colleagues are buying into this theory, but Lou is convinced that these are all done by the same guy. He never leaves any evidence, the heists are always clearly planned out, and he never uses violence.
Barry Keoghan’s Ormon Raises the Stakes
After one of his well-planned robberies does not go as smoothly as usual, Mike talks to the guy who fences the stuff he steals, and this makes his fence think that Mike has lost his nerve. This is where Barry Keoghan’s Ormon comes into play. Ormon is a skilled thief in his own right, but he is far more violent and takes way more unnecessary risks than Mike ever would, but now the two are on a collision course.
Halle Berry’s Sharon Adds New Twists to Crime 101
Things get extra complicated when Halle Berry’s Sharon comes into play. Sharon is a high end insurance broker, and she works with extremely wealthy clients, which makes Mike go to her and ask her to work with him. Ok, that is as far as I can go with the story, as there are some neat twists and turns, and you have to just watch it all unfold for yourself. I will say that there is an awesome car ride scene with Mike and Lou, that has the tension ramped up to about a 10!
Is Crime 101 Worth Watching for Heist and Crime Thriller Fans?
I really enjoyed this one! If you get a kick out of crime and heist movies, Crime 101 is well worth checking out. It is well-paced, kept me interested, and it has an awesome cast of talented actors who all do a great job. It is on Amazon Prime as I write this, so if you already subscribe to that service, you can watch it for free!
