Crime 101 (2026)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A disciplined jewel thief and a determined detective find their paths colliding in a high-stakes game of deception and diamonds.
The story
In Los Angeles, Mike is an elusive and disciplined jewel thief who carefully plans robberies to avoid violence and evidence while escaping via U.S. Route 101. After a successful but harrowing heist involving a diamond delivery, Mike is forced to deal with the fallout of a reckless associate, Ormon, who is hired by Mike's fence to complete a job. Meanwhile, LAPD Detective Lou Lubesnick begins investigating the string of robberies. As the two men navigate the complexities of their respective lives—one a thief trying to stay under the radar and the other a detective closing in on the truth—their paths begin to converge in a tense game of cat and mouse.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Mike, a disciplined jewel thief in Los Angeles, steals $3 million in diamonds but is shaken by a near-miss. His fence, Money, hires a volatile biker named Ormon to handle a secondary job, which leads to a fractured relationship between Mike and his underworld contacts. Simultaneously, Detective Lou Lubesnick investigates the thefts. Mike enters a romance with Maya, while Lou struggles with his personal life and a mounting case. The plot thickens as Mike recruits an insurance broker, Sharon, to help him target a wealthy client, Steven Monroe. The tension peaks during a final heist at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Mike and Lou both arrive at the scene; Mike posing as a guard and Lou as a courier. A three-way standoff occurs when Ormon appears and wounds Monroe. Mike kills Ormon and escapes, while Lou manages to frame Ormon for the crimes and secures a future for Sharon. The film ends with Lou finding Mike's vintage car and Mike reaching out to Maya for a second chance.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 140
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Bart Layton
- Writers
- Bart Layton · writer
- Cast and characters
- Chris Hemsworth · Mike/James Davis; Mark Ruffalo · Det. Lou Lubesnick; Barry Keoghan · Ormon; Halle Berry · Sharon Combs; Monica Barbaro · Maya; Corey Hawkins · Det. Tillman; Jennifer Jason Leigh · Angie Lubesnick; Nick Nolte · Money
- Genres
- crime thriller; heist
- Themes
- identity; betrayal
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- heist; crime; undercover
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2020 novella by Don Winslow
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 68 · scale: 100 · review count: 37; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- Mark Ruffalo replaced Pedro Pascal due to scheduling conflicts.; The film was originally set for a January 23 release in the United States.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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