Crime 101
Amazon MGM Studios | Release Date: February 13, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
15
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzFeb 13, 2026
This is a special movie. It has a life force unlike any other crime thriller I’ve seen. It’s about characters who suffer a personal failure but emerge transformed. It’s a violent movie, but not a cruel one, and unexpectedly moving by the end. Read full review
80
The TelegraphTim RobeyFeb 14, 2026
There’s no breakneck pace, no urge to pulverise the audience with action. Bart Layton’s film is methodical and moody – that mood being one of bone-weary fatigue. These are stuck lives, the products of bad luck and unfortunate choices Read full review
80
The New YorkerJustin ChangFeb 13, 2026
There’s a tension, too, between the observant realism of Layton’s style and the derivativeness of the plotting, though the three leads, all superb, smooth it over with considerable skill. Read full review
80
StatusBrian LowryFeb 13, 2026
An extremely down-to-earth, character-driven heist movie that in the best ways resembles similar fare from the 1990s. Read full review
80
Film ThreatBradley GibsonFeb 13, 2026
Crime 101 will get your pulse pounding on a wild ride. Read full review
80
Time OutPhil de SemlyenFeb 13, 2026
It’s refreshing to see a grown-up big-screen thriller this well crafted – and one that cares for its grounded characters and their predicaments. If it comes off the road once or twice, it’s still well worth the ride. Read full review
80
ColliderAidan KelleyFeb 11, 2026
While the film's reliance on established crime stories dips a bit too much into the realm of cliché, the overall result is a thrilling ride that's fun to watch, from its quietest character moments to its loudest chase sequences. Read full review
80
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyFeb 11, 2026
Crime 101 is sleek like a Michael Mann venture, but with a healthy dose of 2020s nihilism. Read full review
80
Radio TimesJeremy AspinallFeb 11, 2026
Layton sustains the slow-burning tension, punctuated occasionally by some riveting chases, as the quartet circle each other on the way to a nerve-jangling, edge-of-your-seat climax where the outcome is anything but predictable. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawFeb 11, 2026
Overall, it is a highly watchable spectacle, leaving a sizzling streak of rubber on the tarmac. Read full review
80
VarietyOwen GleibermanFeb 11, 2026
Crime 101 is an underworld drama that’s clever and compelling in unusual ways. Read full review
80
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzFeb 11, 2026
Whereas Michael Mann gave Heat the perfect narrative offramp, Crime 101 tends to circle the block toward the end.
78
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiFeb 11, 2026
That Crime 101 comes close to greatness and never quite gets there is not a crime. Even if it was, it’d be a misdemeanor. Read full review
75
The Travers TakePeter TraversFeb 13, 2026
Chris Hemsworth leads a starry cast in a heist drama that fascinates even through a veil of familiarity. Near the end, a standout Halle Berry flashes a smile of sweet satisfaction. My guess is that you’ll feel the same way. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 13, 2026
Money spent on this cast was well-spent. The performances are riveting but never shake the reality the players and Layton anchor their characters in. Read full review
73
The Daily BeastNick SchagerFeb 11, 2026
A film that lives up to its title by being, in every way, basic—and, in the process, confirms that there’s a reason some clichés endure. Read full review
70
The RevealScott TobiasFeb 13, 2026
Layton is a confident storyteller and the various subplots in Winslow’s pulpy scenario converge elegantly, even if they’re a bit secondhand. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonFeb 11, 2026
The film stands in the shadow of Michael Mann’s influential Southern California pictures, but a cast led by Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo add extra crackle to a story that salutes characters who are very good at their job – no matter what side of the law they are on. Read full review
70
ScreenCrushMatt SingerFeb 11, 2026
A few clunky lines of dialogue aside, the movie mirrors the honorable thief at its center: Methodical, cool, and effective. Read full review
67
IndieWireRyan LattanzioFeb 11, 2026
While Crime 101 runs like a remodeled version of earlier, better heist movies from the ’90s or early 2000s (which again are almost always coming from Michael Mann) but with lesser parts, there’s enough gas in the tank and competence at the wheel to merit a spin. At least until Heat 2. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshFeb 12, 2026
Crime 101 overstays its welcome and is rife with bland story filler, but there’s no denying that it is handsomely made and rarely boring, offering the nominal pleasures of a good-looking serious adult crime drama, which is all too rare these days. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliFeb 11, 2026
While the climax does not lack for action, the overall resolution feels flaccid and undercooked. Read full review
60
The TimesTom ShoneFeb 17, 2026
Layton’s direction is powerful but patient and Berry brings real bite to her insurance agent, who at 53 is prey to the bitter realisation that the system is not built in her favour. Read full review
60
IGNClint GageFeb 12, 2026
Crime 101 has everything a heist thriller ought to have… but not much else. Read full review
60
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergFeb 12, 2026
Like lovingly warmed leftovers, it has its satisfactions: a charismatic cast, evocative Los Angeles location work, the sort of granular details on diamond couriering and insurance valuation that might give impressionable viewers ideas. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeFeb 11, 2026
We don’t demand hard realism from such a project, but a little more edge would have been nice. Solid, middlebrow entertainment, nonetheless. Read full review
60
EmpireBen TravisFeb 11, 2026
There’s a pleasure to seeing such a starry cast in a slick cinematic thriller. But beyond that, Crime 101 offers little to remember after the closing credits. Read full review
60
The TimesKevin MaherFeb 11, 2026
This is all good fun but at about the midway mark (see the chunky running time) it begins to lose its vitality, ceasing to be a new Heat and becoming more of a reheat. Read full review
60
SlashfilmChris EvangelistaFeb 11, 2026
It's slick, solid, and filled to the brim with talented actors digging in and making the most of a not-entirely-nutritious meal. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckFeb 11, 2026
Ultimately, Crime 101 feels too contrived and artificial to be convincing. But there’s plenty to appreciate along the way, especially the extensive cinematic craftsmanship that’s gone into it. Read full review
60
Next Best PictureGiovanni LagoFeb 11, 2026
Many films like this may exist, and many more will certainly follow. But Layton’s attempts to differentiate this particular crime film will leave audiences with enough worthy moments to linger on, even if the overall impact is modest. Read full review
60
Screen RantGregory NussenFeb 11, 2026
This is a purposefully languid movie that proves real, genuine tension can be built without crash landing right on your head. In an era of fast cuts and escalating explosions — the kind that Hemsworth, Ruffalo and Halle Berry all know intimately from their time in Marvel's universe — it is refreshing to watch something this confident in its own particular DNA. Read full review
50
Little White LiesHannah StrongFeb 13, 2026
The desire to create a web of characters as complexly mapped as the LA road network is to the film’s detriment; much like a good heist crew, you’ve got to know when the cut the dead weight. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineKyle TurnerFeb 11, 2026
Like Mike’s modus operandi as a criminal, the film goes through all the pro forma motions. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonFeb 11, 2026
Crime 101 is often smart, ultimately ridiculous — man, that ending! — and mostly absorbing. But as with Davis’ sleek rides, your mileage may vary. Read full review
50
The Associated PressJake CoyleFeb 11, 2026
The real heist of Crime 101 is an old one: If you’re going to steal, steal from the best. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithFeb 12, 2026
That “Crime 101” seeks to position itself as a successor to “Heat” is laughable. A more accurate title would have been “Lukewarmth.” Read full review
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