An Intro Class to Making a Generic Crime Thriller
Written by Nandita Joshi
2025 saw a year where crime thrillers had extravagantly burst onto our screens. Whether it was through loud action sequences in The Accountant 2, lavish costume design and locations in Another Simple Favor, or oozing of sex appeal in Caught Stealing, more was more when crafting a memorable crime thriller for audiences to indulge in. This year, Bart Layton's latest feature, Crime 101, aims to prove that less can be more in this genre and that audiences can still be entertained by it.
The stoic, highly intelligent thief Davis (Chris Hemsworth) has been countlessly running rings around the not listened to LAPD officer Lou (Mark Ruffalo) after carrying out multiple heists of jewellery stores where he leaves zero trace. When weary insurance broker Sharon (Halle Berry) enters the mix, what begins as a traditional cat-and-mouse premise becomes elevated by the intertwining of their relationships.
Layton adapts the novella of the same name written by Don Winslow into a screenplay that is held together by the effective entanglement of Davis, Lou, and Sharon. The almost symbiotic connection that each of their lives has with one another, even when they are not together on screen, mixed with the narrative flickering seamlessly between their stories, avoiding staleness in focusing on one of them for too long, catalyze momentum in a story that makes you wait for a third act payoff. Layton takes his foot off the gas and turns on cruise control to make audiences glide through the story in an otherwise fast paced genre akin to David Fincher's The Killer (2023).
There were moments where Layton made a conscious decision, alongside cinematographer Erik Wilson, to choose style over substance with slow motion camera rolls over LA overpasses to the slick transitions between characters via car windows and clothing changes. Paired with the intoxicating, jittery score by Blanck Mass, the film radiates seduction and suave, emulating energies created in films like Black Bag (2025).
In a perfect world, the slower pace would not have been an issue, as it allows the audience to sit with these characters and see their arcs unfold without it being rushed. However, that only works when the performances by the characters are compelling. Unfortunately, this was not the case for Davis. Hemsworth's characterisation of a vacant antihero came across as awkward and forced. While it is commendable to see him choose roles outside of the comfort zone of high stakes action features, it was a swing and a miss, leading to him being miscast for this role.
Simultaneously, Layton attempts to humanise and liven up Davis' dull characterisation through a forced romance with Maya (Monica Barbaro). While the chemistry between Hemsworth and Barbaro is clearly there, it is nothing more than a futile attempt to get us to empathise with his character through the guise of a woman. Surely there are other ways to achieve this instead of throwing a romance into the mix, like exploring Davis' estranged family connections in more depth.
To top it off, Amazon MGM Studios does not shy away from on-the-nose product placement. From the Prime Delivery driver to the Amazon Fresh store being seen in the background to the mention of The Thomas Crown Affair that is currently being produced by their studio, directed by and starring Michael B Jordan, you could hear audible sighs from the audience every time it happened, completely taking you out of the experience altogether.
All hope is not lost as Ruffalo and Berry deliver scene stealing performances as Lou and Sharon. Ruffalo channels back his portrayal as Inspector David Tosch in Zodiac (2007) for Lou, bringing the right amount of grit, determination, and rule-bending to his character's endeavor to hunt Davis down. But it is Berry who really shines above the rest as she effortlessly characterises the real challenges that older women in professional fields still face in the 21st century, although it may seem archaic. Watching Sharon slowly be broken down by the powerful men in her career to a pivotal "enough is enough" moment garnered frenzied cheers from the crowd watching it unfold. People love when women do not put up with nonsense, and Berry is able to nail her portrayal of it.
Crime 101 gives audiences a lot to work with in its 139-minute runtime, with its illustrious stylistic choices to its gracious development of almost all of its characters. Layton offers an introduction to the slower paced crime thrillers and how they can be just as enjoyable as their lavish counterparts.
Photo: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
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