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Crime 101 may not have set the world on fire with a $72 million worldwide box-office haul, but it has been a hit as a streaming option on Prime Video. This week it made its physical media debut (4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD). Is it worth the purchase?
Read more: ‘Crime 101’ 4K Ultra UHD Review: Chris Hemsworth Heist Film Is A Keeper – (Alliance Home Entertainment)
Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is a jewel thief who is rethinking his line of work after a heist almost costs him his life. He relays that message to his boss (Nick Nolte) and soon enough a rival thief named Ormon (Barry Keoghan) enters his orbit. Halle Berry co-stars as an insurance executive who might help Davis complete one last score. Monica Barbaro is Davis’ love interest and Mark Ruffalo is Lou, a detective who is just as smart as Davis.
Crime 101, directed by Bart Layton, is a direct homage to such Michael Mann movies as Heat and Thief. If you are into heist movies and don’t mind listening to a few similar notes, then Crime 101 should be right up your alley. Even at 140 minutes, the movie kept me engaged and, as an Angeleno, it was great to see a few of my favorite spots (especially Grand Central Market) captured in the feature. The Blanck Mass soundtrack is also pretty stellar and it’s now number one on my workout playlist:
The only drawback is that there are no Special Features on the 4K Ultra HD, but it is worth a purchase if you’re already a fan of the movie. A featurette, audio commentary, or even a trailer would have been welcome. Since I really enjoyed the movie, however, these are minor complaints.
It’s ironic that Ruffalo (Collateral) and Chris Hemsworth (Blackhat) have both been part of the Michael Mann cinematic universe, and that definitely gives an extra layer of awesomeness to Crime 101. Both Barry Keoghan, who worked with Layton on the 2018 feature American Animals, and Berry deliver engaged work as well. The biggest surprise is that the films is more of a character driven, cat and mouse tale rather than a pure action infused narrative. Aside from an elaborate car/motorcycle chase sequence between Hemsworth and Keoghan, there is not a ton of action to be had in Crime 101. But from where I sit, that’s not a complaint thanks to a solid script from Layton (based on the Don Winslow novella of the same name).
Will you be purchasing Crime 101 on physical media? Share your thoughts on the movie in the comments!
Crime 101 4K Ultra HD review copy supplied by Alliance Home Entertainment.
