Every lesson comes with a price.
Amazon MGM Studios has released the first trailer for Crime 101, the sleek, sun-drenched thriller starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo, set to hit theaters on February 13. Directed and co-written by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter), the film also stars Corey Hawkins, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte. Layton wrote the screenplay alongside Academy Award winner Peter Straughan (Conclave).
Set against the backdrop of the Los Angeles coastline, Crime 101 follows an elusive jewel thief (Hemsworth) whose string of high-stakes robberies unfolds along the 101 Freeway. When he sets his sights on one final heist, he crosses paths with a disillusioned insurance broker (Berry) whose life is at a crossroads. Forced to work together, their worlds collide just as a relentless detective (Ruffalo) closes in — and the line between the hunter and the hunted begins to blur.
Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella, the film reimagines the crime genre as both a literal and moral “course” in wrongdoing. The 101 in the title isn’t just the freeway — it’s also a reflection of the lessons each character must face when right and wrong start to look the same.
The story’s cinematic DNA carries shades of Michael Mann’s Heat, exploring loyalty, greed, and redemption through intertwined perspectives — the criminal, the civilian, and the cop. As the multimillion-dollar heist approaches, all three find themselves learning that there’s no such thing as a clean getaway.
Produced by Hemsworth, Layton, Ben Grayson, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Dimitri Doganis, Derrin Schlesinger, and Shane Salerno, Crime 101 is a collaboration between Working Title Films, RAW, The Story Factory, and Wild Slate. The film will be distributed domestically by Amazon MGM Studios, with Sony Pictures Releasing International handling the global rollout.
With a powerhouse ensemble and a director known for blurring truth and deception, Crime 101 looks to deliver a smart, stylish spin on the heist genre — one that proves even the most seasoned criminals still have something left to learn.