A master jewel thief’s meticulously planned heists along the 101 freeway in sun-bleached Los Angeles have confounded police. A lone detective is on his tail. When their paths cross those of a disillusioned insurance broker, all three face choices that will define their fates in a deadly climax with millions of dollars at stake. A film by Bart Layton, starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, Tate Donovan, Payman Maadi, Paul Adelstein, Devon Bostick, Deborah Hedwall, Babak Tafti, Drew Powell, Matthew Del Negro, and Halle Berry.

Written and directed by English filmmaker Bart Layton, CRIME 101 is a noir thriller that follows an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) behind a series of carefully planned robberies targeting high-value goods across Los Angeles. He never leaves evidence at the scene, giving police nothing to work with, as his crimes quietly blend in with the city’s countless other unsolved cases.

However, LAPD detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) suspects the recent string of diamond thefts is the work of a single man. Lubesnick notices that every robbery was carried out without a single act of violence, and nobody ever got hurt. Lou becomes convinced that the thief operates by a strict code of his own.

What I love most is that the film refuses to hold the viewer’s hand. There’s no forced dialogue explaining how the thief chooses his marks, no unnecessary flashback or backstory detailing his descent into the criminal underworld. This ambiguity elevates his character, making him a true enigma. It’s fascinating to watch the plot unfold naturally through unexpected twists and turns. This is a thriller done right.

🅟

@pradt

CRIME 101 💎
A thief. A broker. A detective. One heist.
—
A film by Bart Layton, starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, Tate Donovan, Payman Maadi, Paul Adelstein, Devon Bostick, Deborah Hedwall, Babak Tafti, Drew Powell, Matthew Del Negro, and Halle Berry.

CRIME 101 premiered in London on 28 January 2026. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 13 February.