Untitled Film Project

SPOILER-FREE PLOT SUMMARY
An OCD thief trying to make enough money to get out of the game forever, Mike (played by Chris Hemsworth) is the mastermind behind massive heists in Los Angeles and runs them through local ring leader Money (Nick Nolte). Meticulous in his planning, he has everything so well thought out that he ensures nobody gets hurt in the robberies that he executes but, when a victim’s hidden gun misfires, it’s a reality check. Still far from his goal, he plans one last heist so he can retire with enough money “to be safe.” When Money realizes Mike’s serious about leaving the business, he gives the next job to the reckless Ormon (Barry Keoghan) who completes the mission but hurts innocent people in the process. Furious with the outcome, Mike plans his last heist, involving insurance company Vice President Sharon (Halle Berry). Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) is tracking the string of crimes and uncovers a pattern that he and his reluctant partner (Corey Hawkins) lean into while a potentially crooked LAPD oversees the efforts. They think they have their man — and how to handle him — but it’s going to take something extraordinary for the passionate detective to finally catch the meticulous thief.

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
An excellent example of the caper genre, CRIME 101 is not only a fun time at the theater but a masterclass in character development and script writing.

Hemsworth sells the reluctant, cautious thief extremely well, Berry plays the “aged out” insurance broker flawlessly, Hawkins — in his limited screen time — makes an impact as the young, impressionable protege and you absolutely believe Ruffalo is the last good cop inside the LAPD. Basically, you’re rooting for all of these characters, despite them being on different sides of the aisle.

Not to be outdone, director Bart Layton does an incredible job here with his first fictional feature film. From syncing the score to ferris wheel lights to seamless matching cuts between characters in multiple locations to explaining how the beginning of the film came about at the end of the film, Layton should be high atop “free agency lists” for studios wanting to hire the next, big, up-and-coming director.

A slow burn that takes it’s time establishing the minutia of each character, but not to the point of boredom, CRIME 101 is the best all-around movie currently in theaters. While it’s a touch longer than I’d like — because God forbid anybody can make a sub-two-hour movie anymore — everything on screen matters. Mike’s visit with an escort only informs us on his desperation for human connection. Sharon’s confrontation with the Senior VP only informs us on why she reacts the way she does. Heck, even Ormon’s reckless abandon only informs us on his unquenchable desire to be accepted.

All too often, movies in this genre try too hard. The first half of ARGYLLE, for example, was an enjoyable ride before it clearly kept trying to outdo itself over and over — and over — again. This is a great example of how you write, layout and tell a story where every piece connects to finish a puzzle. The audience isn’t lost but rather completely engrossed.

This is how you write a script. This is how you execute a caper. This is the quality of film we want in the theaters during the first part of the year. CRIME 101 is a winner.

JKG SCORE: 8.5