Ahead of marking his MCU return later this year with Doomsday, Chris Hemsworth, alongside Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry, is to headline Bart Layton’s Crime 101, the heist thriller which opens in theaters this weekend. The early buzz toward the movie has been largely positive, with the thriller initially opening to a perfect score on the Tomatometer.
But as of writing, the scores have reduced to 88% from 50 reviews (via Rotten Tomatoes), which is still a pretty strong figure, one of the highest for a Hemsworth-led movie outside of the MCU pipeline. While it remains to be seen whether its critical reception will translate to its commercial success, the Thor: Ragnarok star has drawn parallels between his new crime thriller and ’90s thrillers.
Crime 101‘s Channels Classic ’90s thrillers Per Chris Hemsworth
The story follows Hemsworth’s Mike Davis, a jewel thief, and Halle Berry’s Sharon Colvin, an insurance broker, joining forces to pull off a heist, while being pursued by Ruffalo’s Detective Lou Lubesnick.
Speaking of the movie, Hemsworth recalled being taken aback by Bart Layton’s script. Having been a fan of the director’s other works, including the severely underrated American Animals, the Marvel star expressed that Crime 101 felt like a throwback to classic ’90s thrillers, something that has become a rarity in the current mainstream climate (via PinkVilla.
I read the script and loved it because it felt like a real throwback to ‘90s thrillers,” reveals Chris Hemsworth. As to why it was special, he adds, “There was a sort of nostalgia to the story that you don’t see too much these days.I was a fan of Bart’s work and loved American Animals. It was a very character-driven drama with elaborate intersecting storylines.
It didn’t take Hemsworth long to believe in the movie, as upon meeting Layton, the actor was immediately on board with the director’s vision.
Can Crime 101 Break Amazon’s Underwhelming Box Office Streak
While the movie has commenced on a high note on the critical front, it has the challenge of turning Amazon’s fortunes after two back-to-back underwhelming releases, including Mercy and the Melania documentary.
A still from Crime 101 (2026) | Credit: Amazon MGM Studios
Unfortunately, turning a profit in theaters might be a long shot for the crime thriller, as Variety is currently projecting a $15-17million domestic opening for the movie amid competition from Wuthering Heights and GOAT.
Although the word of mouth will determine its legs, considering it was reportedly made on a $90 million budget, even if it does maintain impressive legs at the box office, the break-even point seems to be a bit too distant.
However, unlike Mercy or Melania, the movie does boast immense potential for VOD and streaming. And if the movie does succeed in concluding its run on a respectable total, profitability might still be on the cards through post-release revenue for Amazon.
Are you excited for the upcoming crime thriller? Comment below!
Crime 101 releases on February 13.
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