In the upcoming Crime 101, an adaptation of a Don Winslow novella, Chris Hemsworth’s character is something of an ethical thief, who only steals things that insurance policies will cover. There’s of course more to the story than that, and joining him on the journey is a cast that includes Halle Berry and Mark Ruffalo.
As for the tone, writer-director Bart Layton describes the film as a throwback to Steve McQueen classics, telling Esquire, “Obviously, who doesn’t love those movies? They were grown-up, intelligent, Saturday-night popcorn movies, and I definitely felt like, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to bring something of that back?'”
Ahead of the movie’s release, keep reading for everything you need to know before it hits theaters.
Plot
An official description reads:
“Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose high-stakes heists unfolding along the iconic 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime with hopes of this being his final job, his path collides with a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads, forcing the two to collaborate. Determined to crack the case, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) closes in on the operation, raising the stakes even higher. As the multimillion-dollar heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are forced to confront the cost of their choices — and the realization that there’s no turning back.”
Hemsworth told Esquire of his character, “He’s a good guy in a situation doing bad things. There was such a vulnerability to the character that we were trying to explore, in order to have an audience side with him.” He also said, “What I loved about the script is you have these three intersecting storylines and characters from different worlds, but they’re all feeling this sort of existential crisis, this middle passage in life, this reexamination of self. And the things like social etiquette, the norms, the expectations, the laws that they’ve all abided by again, they’re wearing thin. The ambiguity of life is far more truthful than the black-or-white.”
Cast
The movie stars Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, and Halle Berry.
Berry previously told Access Hollywood:
“I got to work with some of the most amazing people, guys that I’ve admired for a very long time, on a story that I think is universal, but also for women in this movie — I’m always championing our girls. I think we have a really good representation for us in this movie, and I’m excited about that.”
Hemsworth added, “I was incredibly excited to work with Halle,” and said he absolutely felt “intimidated” by her.
Release Date
The film is set to hit theaters on February 13, 2026.
Trailer
Check out the Crime 101 trailer below.
