'Mann' of the hour: A review of 'Crime 101'
Published Feb 19, 2026 05:04 pm
Director Michael Mann was known for authoring the playbook on stylized Crime dramas, of which Heat, Collateral, and Blackhat are three fine examples. The younger audiences of today may not be all that familiar with Mann’s work; so to call this latest Bart Layton film, Crime 101, a successful homage to Mann is a good thing. It acknowledges the debt and influence Mann may have had in Layton’s creative decisions, and my use of the ‘successful’ is definitely a compliment, as Mann is a hard act to follow.
Bart Layton, Halle Berry, and Chris Hemsworth attend the Amazon MGM 'Crime 101' world premiere on Feb. 10, 2026, at The United Theater in Los Angeles. (Columbia Pictures)
Layton directed The Impostor and American Animals. I watched Animals and was blown away by the docudrama approach, and felt back then that Layton was a director to watch out for. With "Crime 101," he furthers his cause as a director who can stitch together strong action sequences, choreograph thrilling car chases, and still infuse his characters with heart and humor, so that we care about them and aren’t just passive observers of what is transpiring on screen.
The multi-strand narrative of "Crime 101" is based on a Don Winslow novella. One main character would be Mike (Chris Hemsworth), an LA jewel thief with a conscience and aversion to violence. Then there’s Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo), the only one who believes all the robberies along Highway 101 are the work of one robber. There’s Sharon Coombs (Halle Berry), a disgruntled Insurance broker who teams up with Mike for one big heist. In the wings are Maya (Monica Barbaro), a love interest for Mike, and Mike’s guide to the world of crime, Money (Nick Nolte).
When Mike’s conscience starts to prick him, Money turns to the unpredictable, unstable, and violent Ormon (Barry Keoghan). And there’s a crooked billionaire client of Sharon, Steven Monroe (Tate Donovan). It's when these strands intersect, as foreshadowed by how they pass each other on the freeway, that the sparks fly, the tension builds up, and we’re left uncertain of how things will resolve.
The official film poster of 'Crime 101'
The Mann connection to this film is strengthened by the fact that Hemsworth was the lead actor in Blackhat and that Ruffalo was in the supporting cast of Collateral, which starred Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. It’s like Layton is deliberately narrowing the degrees of separation between his new film and Michael Mann's filmography. Personally, I did not mind that at all.
Hemsworth plays the cards close to his chest as Mike, leaving most of the acting to those around him, as Mike is supposed to be very much in control, impassive, and the epitome of cool. Ruffalo pretty much reprises his slightly sexier than Columbo, rumpled cop impersonation with his Lou. As for Keoghan, his roles of late flit between crazed and delinquent, or the somewhat mentally challenged but good-hearted - here, it's the former.
It's nice to see Berry back in a major acting role, and ready to play her age, more or less. In the film, in one confrontation scene, Sharon says she’s 53 - and in real life, Berry is six years older.
As this is based on a Don Winslow novella, I presume Layton had to expand the story, which would explain some of the holes and inconsistencies. By and large, there’s much to like about "Crime 101," and if you’ll call it a throwback to the good old days of crime action films, then I’d say that’s a good thing. The film is currently showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide.