High stakes, higher returns. Crime 101, a crime thriller with a dazzling all-star cast consisting of Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, and Barry Keoghan. The film is adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella of the same name, and helmed by Bart Layton as writer and director.
Layton is no stranger to stories of people living outside the shadow of the law, and he saw the perfect setting for his next endeavor in Crime 101. “I felt like many of the characters are slightly trapped in that sense of ‘I’m never going to feel good about my place in the world unless I have this,’” Layton says. “L.A. is a place that really nurtures that sense of: if you want to really be somebody and feel like you are of value, you need to have all the external trappings of great success. I think status anxiety is a constant thing.”
Crime 101 is a tale of the elusive but prolific thief Davis, who has a penchant for pilfering jewels and makes his haunt around the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, California. The heist of a lifetime happens upon him, and crosses paths with jaded insurance broker Sharon Coombs, played by Halle Berry. Complications from her career selling protection for the treasures of the Los Angeles elite put her at a crossroads in her life. Meanwhile LAPD investigator Detective Lou Lubesnik, played by Mark Ruffalo, has been haunted by the 101 freeway crimes, and all three of their lives intersect as Davis sets off for the biggest job of his career.
Director Layton took inspiration from a passion of his, which was classic heist thrillers such as Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight (1998), Michael Mann’s Thief (1980), The Sting, and Norman Jewison’s The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). “They were grownup movies,” he says. “They had real characters and were kind of tonally not simply a comedy, a drama or a thriller. They had light and shade. I definitely thought it would be nice to remind people that those are still great experiences to have in the cinema.”
Actor Chris Hemsworth and Layton have a shared love of old-school heist dramas, so coming onboard for Crime 101 was a no-brainer for the actor. “I read the script and loved it because it felt like a real throwback to ‘90s thrillers,” Hemsworth says. “There was a sort of nostalgia to the story that you don’t see too much these days. I was a fan of Bart’s work and loved American Animals. It was a very character-driven drama with elaborate intersecting storylines. After our first meeting I thought not only has he written an incredibly compelling script, but he also has a brilliant vision for the film.”
Veteran producer Eric Fellner was convinced that Crime 101 was going to steal the imagination of the audience, and is more than proud of the film he helped shape. “I found it inspiring how good everybody was in the film, and that goes from in front of the camera to behind it,” Fellner says. “There is unbelievable production design, cinematography, costume, hair and makeup, editing, music—just every aspect.” The result is a passion project for all involved, which he hopes resonates with the viewers: “When you’re making something, the hope from a producer is that audiences will lean in, emotionally engage, and at the end breathe out a huge sigh of joy and go: ‘Wow, that was great.’”
Crime 101 delivers thrills in Philippine cinemas starting February 18.
Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”
