After being released in cinemas just over a month ago, one of the year’s most underrated films so far is now available to stream.
Back in February, Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry and Mark Ruffalo starred in Crime 101, an adaptation of Don Winslow’s 2020 novella.
The film flopped at the box office, but unfairly – it’s a simple but effective heist thriller, pulsating with tension and standout performances, most notably from Berry and Ruffalo, which feels refreshingly old-fashioned in its approach.
Director Bart Layton (The Imposter, American Animals) channels his inner Michael Mann for the film. It follows an elusive jewel thief (Hemsworth) who, while eyeing his final score, encounters a disillusioned insurance broker (Berry) at her own crossroads.
When their paths intertwine, a relentless detective (Ruffalo) trails them in an attempt to intercept the multi-million dollar heist they are planning.
The film also features Barry Keoghan as a psychotic rival thief, and has a rare appearance from Nick Nolte, who plays a shady figure from the criminal underworld of Los Angeles.
Crime 101 presents an interconnected plot that has its fair share of surprises – and it’s just been added to Prime Video.
The film only made back $71m (£53.8m) of its $90m (£68m) budget, appearing to get lost in the mound of award-friendly films released at the same time.
But it’ll likely find an audience on streaming; the film is perfect to throw on one Friday or Saturday night. At the time of writing, it’s rising up Prime’s most-watched charts, sitting at number three.
The Independent’s film critic Clarisse Loughrey gave the film four stars out of five in her review, commending Berry’s performance in particular.
“Berry can slip easily between the volcanic rage and the shimmery performance of carelessness required for a Black woman over the age of 50 to survive such a ruthless, corporate space,” she wrote. “When she finally lets out a demand of “shut the f*** up”, it’s glorious.”
Crime 101 also stars Monica Barbaro, who played Joan Baez in Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, Corey Hawkins and Jennifer Jason Leigh. At the time of writing, it has an impressive score of 89 per cent on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes after 186 reviews.
