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If you missed Chris Hemsworth‘s crime thriller Crime 101 when it was in theaters earlier this year, you’re not alone.
Despite stellar reviews and an 89 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, moviegoers just didn’t show up for Crime 101.
The good news is that Crime 101 is getting a second chance to find an audience now that its streaming debut has arrived.
That’s why Watch With Us is sharing three reasons to watch Crime 101 on Amazon Prime Video in March. It might even be one of the best movies you see this year.
It Has a Marvelous Cast
Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth in Crime 101. Dean Rogers / © Amazon MGM Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection
The first thing you’re going to notice is that Crime 101 has a cast stacked with Marvel veterans, including Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry and Barry Keoghan. Those performers portray the four main characters of the film, and they’re all connected whether they realize it or not. The Marvel connection may be incidental, and no one in the cast is coasting on their previous roles. Hemsworth gives one of his best performances in years as Mike, a jewel thief who is very reluctant to reveal anything about himself. Ruffalo’s Detective Lou Lubesnick is obsessed with finding Mike, even though he’s not really sure who he’s looking for.
Berry plays Sharon, an insurance agent who finds some common ground with Mike, even if they aren’t necessarily on the same side. As for Keoghan, he plays a lunatic named Ormon. Ostensibly, Ormon and Mike are in the same business, but they’re far apart in terms of their methods and loyalties. The rest of the supporting cast also give great performances in this flick, including Nick Nolte, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Corey Hawkins and Monica Barbaro. Whoever lined up these actors deserves a raise, because there isn’t a weak link among them.
‘Crime 101’ Plays Like a Michael Mann Film
Barry Keoghan and Chris Hemsworth in Crime 101. Amazon MGM Studios / courtesy Everett Collection
If you didn’t know going in that this film was directed by Bart Layton, you might be easily fooled into thinking that this was a Michael Mann movie. The way Layton films the action and sets the mood practically screams Mann, and it would be shocking if Mann’s films weren’t a major source of inspiration for Crime 101.
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Crime 101 recaptures the look and tone of the noirish style that Mann frequently uses in his own work. The result is a film that’s beautiful to look at, and it has some of the best car chases we’ve seen in a long time. The cinematography by Erik Wilson is so strong that it’s not out of the realm of possibility that this film could be up for an Oscar or two 11 months from now.
The Characters’ Stories Are Unexpectedly Compelling
The biggest reason why Crime 101 is a must-watch film is that Layton doesn’t overlook his characters in the name of pushing the plot forward. Mike is a particularly interesting anti-hero in part because he’s so reluctant to open up to anyone. Maya (Barbaro) and Sharon are both able to make some educated guesses about Mike’s background, but Hemsworth fleshes out his character by omission. It’s the things he doesn’t say that help add definition to his character.
In another film, Lou probably would have been the sole protagonist, and Ruffalo gives him a very endearing everyman quality. Lou doesn’t think of himself as the villain of Mike’s story, but he can only achieve his goal if he finds Mike and takes him down. Even though the audience’s sympathies are largely with Mike, it’s kind of hard not to root for Lou as well.
Crime 101 is streaming on Prime Video.
