The freeway has never been this hazardous before. The official trailer for, as well as first look images from, CRIME 101 are out now, and this flick looks like it may just wind up being the most fashionable crime drama of the year.
It will release only in theaters worldwide on the 13th of February, sporting a talented cast with a brilliant director at its helm, making for a true masterclass in heist cinema that lends itself to being both classic yet contemporary.
The 101 Freeway Has Never Looked So Sexy and Sinister
Based on Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella, CRIME 101 portrays the 101 freeway not as a commuter’s nightmare but as a background for a series of slick robberies that puzzle detectives.
At its heart, of course, is Chris Hemsworth as the charismatic thief, a man who has taken robbery to an art form. With a final job planned, a job that might just rewrite his whole life, he crosses paths with Halle Berry as a world-weary insurance investigator standing precariously close to the edge of her own life. It’s a complicated, volatile, and yet intensely physical relationship that’s more about life or death than sex.
Enter Mark Ruffalo as a detective who catches a whiff of blood in the water. In a desperate effort to bring the thief under control, Ruffalo’s character unleashes a psychological game with elements of loyalty, morality, and desperation.
Casting Director: ‘Oscars, But Make It a Heist’
Hemsworth, Berry, and Ruffalo were enough to make movie buffs go utterly nuts, but with this supporting cast, they’ve really outdone themselves.
- Barry Keoghan
- Monica Barbaro
- Corey Hawkins
- Jennifer Jason Leigh
- Nick Nolte
It’s just the sort of cast that screams Oscar bait yet still offers promise of popcorn-spilling fun.
Bart Layton Is About to Mess With Your Head… Again
Behind this camera stands a man named Bart Layton, who, among other films, directed American Animals and The Imposter. Layton has this brilliant quality about him that confuses reality with fiction, making viewers uncomfortable in a pleasant sort of way.
In this instance, he’s doing more than translating Winslow’s novella, he’s transcending it. Layton’s Los Angeles might not be a city of palm trees, a Hollywood sheen, but a city of mirages, where desperation resides behind tinted glass, where the freeway serves as a stage.
With Layton coming on as a co-producer with such big-league names as Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and no less than Chris Hemsworth himself, this just isn’t your run-of-the-mill crime flick
What the Trailer Hints at: Mayhem, Magnetism, and Felony Swagger
Preview reveals it will feature all elements of a classic modern crime story:
- Fashionable burglaries with Hemsworth sporting a criminal demi-god look with aviators
- Berry’s quiet devastation as she struggles with a world of adrenaline and deception
- Ruffalo’s obsession, the sort that turns detectives into maniacs
- And most of all, this sun-baked aesthetic which gives each shot a neon noir look
Like its tagline, it’s more than a story about a heist. It’s about decision, consequence, and the chilling understanding that, after a certain point, there’s no going back.
Valentine’s Day Just Got Hotter (and Much More Deadly)
Forget about the roses and chocolates, as CRIME 101 is set for release in theaters across the world on February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend. Heist flick, Don Winslow, or just for the scorching looks of Hemsworth, this promises to be just one of the most awaited films of 2026.
Valentine’s Day Just Got Hotter (and Way More Dangerous)
Forget roses and chocolates, CRIME 101 hits theaters globally on February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend. Whether you’re a heist junkie, a Don Winslow devotee, or simply there for Hemsworth’s smoldering charisma, this is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about releases of 2026.
