Crime 101 [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Bart Layton

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan

Release Date: June 30, 2026

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 9/10
Disc Rating: 7.5/10

Synopsis:

Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose heists have mystified police.  When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices—and the realization that there can be no turning back.

‘Crime 101’ follows a talented jewel thief in the Los Angeles area who has managed to elude capture or even gain the attention of the police force, with the exception of one veteran detective that’s convinced that one man has managed to pull off various complicated heists all occurring within a pattern of the 101 freeway. After being insulted by the man he’s had a career working with, the thief begins plans for a massive new job with the hopeful assistance of an insurance broker who has become fed-up with her company repeatedly pushing her aside. As the detective on his trail believes he’s finally uncovered a legit pattern, it will send various individuals on multiple ends on a collision course that could shake up everything.

Directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter) from his own screenplay which is based upon the novella by Don Winslow, Layton does a spectacular job at the helm of ‘Crime 101’ guiding along the twisty and intricate crime thriller with heart and style. The film’s noteworthy cast includes Chris Hemsworth (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Mark Ruffalo (Mickey 17), Barry Keoghan (Saltburn), Halle Berry (Never Let Go), Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Corey Hawkins (The Last Voyage of the Demeter), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Poolman), and Nick Nolte (Die My Love), with nearly all offering solid and fully capable performances in their respective roles that help this one to come together so splendidly.

‘Crime 101’ is a tremendous example of a crime thriller done right, delivering an intricately crafted tale of a jewel thief with morals that benefits significantly from its attention to detail and its willingness to take the time to let these unique characters each become familiar to the audience before things eventually come crashing together. Utilizing a slow burn approach that also gives viewers a chance to appreciate the blaring Los Angeles sun and giving the environment time to be showcased alongside the collection of characters who are each extraordinarily different from one another before the story starts to push them towards each other for an inevitable showdown that could go plenty of different ways, yet finds a rewarding way to conclude the story without playing it too safe or just catering to general viewers.

The solid story and path of each unique character is all perfectly complemented by the careful guidance of director Bart Layton and a powerhouse cast led by Chris Hemsworth to adequately back it all up. Throw in some tense heists, car chases and various violent confrontations and showdowns and the end result is a magnificent ride for audiences who don’t mind having to think and are willing to fully invest themselves within a tale where not everybody is a great person and some are significantly less so than others, while some others are far more relatable and easy to root for than you might imagine.

Overall, ‘Crime 101’ is a spectacular crime thriller that doesn’t necessarily offer anything exceptionally unique or new but does a truly impressive job of doing it all incredibly well and allowing a solid story to work for itself with some visual enhancements courtesy of the fitting LA setting and plenty of rewarding turns throughout that help it to evolve nicely into one of the better heist films in recent memory. ‘Crime 101’ is highly recommended for anyone that enjoys a well-made crime thriller or heist film that benefits from great direction, a powerful cast and a noteworthy story that has plenty of heart and colorful characters to help propel it along and keep viewers engaged at every turn. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure but are even mildly intrigued by this one it should be well worth your time and the price of a rental to give a shot.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Crime 101’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10, presented in its original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks outstanding as a whole and it delivers a clean, sharp and gorgeously detailed presentation from start to finish that holds up tremendously without suffering from any issues or troubles to be found along the way. Detail is spectacular on everything from character specifics to vehicles, interiors and the Los Angeles backdrop that repeatedly stands out. The Dolby Vision HDR nicely improves various elements throughout such as the blaring LA sun and streets, as well as pieces of clothing and plenty more, while black levels remain consistently clean, rich and problem free. Overall, this is a wonderful Ultra High Definition presentation that looks marvelous every step of the way and should easily thrill fans and newcomers alike.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This multichannel soundtrack does its job very well and it offers up a crisp, clean and at times notably immersive audio presentation throughout. It consistently takes advantage of all seven available channels in order to send some vehicle and car chase activity, along with action effects, crowd noise and more throughout the various speakers whenever appropriate, while always ensuring that any dialogue or other audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously remain clean and fully audible along the way. Overall, this is a great Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that sounds terrific throughout and delivers in every way required of it without issue.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Crime 101’ does not include any bonus content.

*Please note: The above images were provided by Amazon MGM Studios and are not reflective of the actual 4K Ultra HD release or its quality. A standard Blu-ray copy of the film was not included in the release that could be used for screenshots therefore the above publicity stills were utilized. They are all the property of Amazon MGM Studios and any other respective owners.

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Film Rating: 9/10
Disc Rating: 7.5/10

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‘Crime 101’ Arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD June 30, 2026 from Amazon MGM Studios & Alliance Entertainment

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You can purchase ‘Crime 101’ on 4K UHD at Amazon HERE!

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