Simply by being a crime film set in Los Angeles that puts a weary cop and a calculating thief on a climactic collision course, the comparisons to Michael Mann’s Heat are rampant and obvious for Crime 101. Even the author of the novella, Don Winslow, can’t escape scot-free, as he published it in 2020. Then again, despite Heat being the shining pinnacle of its genre, it doesn’t have a monopoly on Los Angeles-based crime, especially when several other entries like Chinatown, Colors, and Point Break already staked their claim. Crime 101 probably won’t ascend to that level of notoriety, but it also won’t be an odd duck if it’s mentioned in the same sentence.

Prior planning prevents poor performance. It’s a phrase/code that Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth) religiously lives by, as we first see him going through the rhythms of preparation for his next heist. He brushes off all loose hair and skin flakes, ensuring that not a speck of DNA can be found at the scene. He wears a mask, never resorts to violence, and is in and out within thirty seconds. It’s like clockwork; the sole clue to his plans is that every job takes place along the US 101 freeway in Los Angeles. Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) is the only person who seems to have cracked the code, with everyone else being fooled into believing that Mike’s jobs are all just random robberies.

Also intertwined in this classic tale of cops and robbers is insurance broker Sharon Colvin (Halle Berry), who hasn’t received the respect and rewards she’s owed after years of catering to the ultra-wealthy slobs who require insurance policies on their multi-million dollar antiquities. On her most recent client visit, a potential buyer revealed to her that he bought a piece of contemporary black art because the current political landscape would cause it to appreciate for future resale. Is there anything more degrading than groveling for less than your worth, only to see a life-changing amount of money thrown as if it’s loose change?

With a 140-minute runtime, Winslow’s story, adapted for the screen and directed by Bart Layton, pleasantly takes its time to have its characters meet in the middle, both physically and philosophically. Ruffalo is currently hitting his stride as a worn-down cop, also playing the part in HBO’s Task. He’s chaim smoking as he approaches a crime scene, having already endured what the city has thrown at him. The only reason he’s not higher up on the food chain is that he “doesn’t play by the rules,” which essentially means that he doesn’t turn a blind eye to cop corruption.

Added in as a chaos agent is Barry Keoghan, once again renewing his monopolistic license to play the twitchy freak in every movie. It’s not broken, so there’s no need for him to fix it. He’s been tasked to hijack Mike’s big score by their shared handler (Nick Nolte). Layton keeps the tension building as everyone moves on their individual and shared tracks, the camera often being handed off as one coincidentally bumps into another. It’s rather unshowy work, just skilled craftsmanship that achieves the basic task put before it.

As much as Hemsworth may walk the walk when committing crimes, he cannot talk the talk when it’s time to be a normal member of society. Hinting at being on the spectrum or still possessing mental scars from childhood, he is a man of little charm outside of his impossibly good looks. It’s those physical features that attract Maya (Monica Barbaro), who both does and doesn’t see through the many red flags Mike flashes. How far would you go to make a relationship work, even in the face of danger?

It is tough to review Crime 101 because there is very little that it does either above or below the average. Its biggest accomplishment is giving Halle Berry a role worthy of her talents, something that hasn’t happened in a long time. She’s roaringly good, possessing both movie star wattage and serious dramatic chops. Of course, that’s an unsurprising fact. But sometimes you don’t appreciate just how good something is until you’ve been without it for a long time.