The weeks between New Year’s and Valentine’s are probably the worst for movies. After the highs of the award-contending tentpoles released from October to December, January is typically left with “dumped” releases that studios didn’t know what to do with. Now that the cursed time is over, good movies are back.
Given the choice between the new “Wuthering Heights” and a film starring Chris Hemsworth, I opted for the latter. I expected something akin to Hemsworth’s “Extraction” films — action-packed thrillers with very little to offer in terms of cerebral elements. This film defied those expectations.
“Crime 101,” directed by Bart Layton, follows Hemsworth’s character as he attempts to hit “walk-away money” as a jewel thief. The film also stars Halle Berry as an insurance executive fighting workplace sexism, Mark Ruffalo as a beat-down police detective, Barry Keoghan as an unhinged thief and Monica Barbaro as Hemsworth’s love interest.
While Amazon has been selling “Crime 101” as an action thriller, it is not that kind of movie. The film follows Hemsworth’s character’s emotional arc as he questions his life choices following an unexpected left turn for one of his jobs. What ensues is a film more interested in watching its characters repair their broken lives than in seeing things explode.
That’s not at all what I expected, and, to be honest, the film probably could have benefited from more excitement. I appreciated its focus on character, and found none of it boring, but I think more in the way of action could have helped the film.
“Crime 101” concerns itself with authenticity and self-improvement. Each character is forced to confront their true self and apparent shortcomings. The film also grapples with wealth inequality (both its causes and effects), handling the topic well.
Each actor gave a worthy performance. I found Halle Berry to be the standout, but I enjoy Hemsworth and Ruffalo in everything I’ve seen them in, including “Crime 101.”
Overall, I found this film to be very unexpected. Unexpected in its quality, to be sure, but also far more character-focused, introspective and thoughtful than I anticipated. Don’t expect a shoot-em-up, but if you’re interested, “Crime 101” is worth a watch.
