Crime 101 is ready to bet on a place in the pantheon of crime films.
One of 2026’s crop of new movies, Crime 101based on Don Winslow’s short story namesake, is billed as a seat-grabbing heist thriller that could make for a perfect date night this coming Valentine’s Day weekend. And with Marvel actors Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo and Barry Keoghan among its A-list cast, it certainly has the star power to get people on their seats.
Heat (1995)
Where to stream: Hulu and Plex (US); Netflix and Disney+ (UK and Australia)
Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 84% (critics); 94% (audience)
“If you’re shooting in Los Angeles, it’s hard not to look beyond Heatright?” Layton said. “For most people, I think it’s the pinnacle of the whole genre. It’s endlessly brilliant and rewatchable.”
He is not wrong. The nearly three-hour crime drama is a timeless film that has influenced countless entertainment and pop culture properties, including Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and the universally popular Grand Theft Auto video game franchise. damn Heat became so ingrained in the zeitgeist after its release in the mid-1990s that it actually inspired real-life crimes, including the 1997 North Hollywood shootout.
For those who may not have seen it, the genre-defining, Michael Mann-directed film follows LAPD Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino)’s relentless pursuit of professional thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) after a robbery led by McCauley goes awry. Watch a compelling game of cat and mouse as Mann demonstrates his mastery behind the camera and Pacino and De Niro demonstrate their undeniable talents in front of it.
Bullitt (1968)
Look at
Where to stream: Hoopla (USA); rent or buy (UK); HBO Max (Australia)
Running time: 1 hour and 53 minutes
RT score: 98% (critics); 85% (audience)
“We wanted to bring this style of film back to the big screen,” Layton revealed when talking about Bullitt60s era Steve McQueen vehicle.
Based on Rupert Fish’s 1963 novel Mute Witnessit stars McQueen as Frank Bullitt, a San Francisco police detective leading the investigation into the murder of a witness he was assigned to keep safe.
A film tailored to showcase McQueen’s natural acting skills, Bullitt is best known for his absorbing car chase that was well ahead of its time. In fact, the 1968 Academy Award winner for Best Editing set the benchmark for chase sequences upon release, with the set pieces regularly appearing on ‘best of’ lists and being described as “the one, the first, the granddaddy, the chase at the top of almost every list” by Time magazine. With Crime 101 set to feature its own vehicle-based chase sequences, Bullitt‘s influence will certainly be felt.
The Sting (1973)
Look at
Where to stream: Netflix (US); rent or buy (UK); Paramount+, Foxtel and Binge (Australia)
Running time: 2 hours and 9 minutes
RT score: 93% (critics); 95% (audience)
A crime caper from 1973, Stinged “was a really formative film for me,” Layton mused — and anyone who’s seen it on one of the world’s best streaming services will agree that it’s up there with the very best films of its kind.
Starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, it tells the story of professional grifters Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker who team up to con mob boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) out of a significant amount of cash.
Another big screen adaptation of a literary work – Stinged is based on David Maurer’s 1940 book The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Manwhich documents the lives of real-life con artists – it marked the second time for filmmaker George Roy Hills, who directed Newman and Redford. Hill had worked with the famous actors four years earlier Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A little surprise, then Stinged proved to be another hit for the trio after the aforementioned 1969 Western buddy film.
Thief (1981)
Look at
Where to stream: Fubo, Plex and MGM+ (US); Mubi and MGM+ (UK); MGM+ (Australia)
Running time: 2 hours and 2 minutes
RT score: 80% (critics); 81% (audience)
“I think most people will immediately point to some of Michael Mann’s stuff,” added Layton about the auteur behind crime genre classics such as Securityas well as other multi-award winning features such as The Last of the Mohicans.
It is Thiefa 1981 film that was just the second film Mann ever directed and is the last in Layton’s favorite crime film. Fronted by James Caan, it introduces us to Frank, a jewel thief and ex-criminal trying to escape his life of crime.
Spoilers notwithstanding, it’s hard not to compare Caan’s protagonist to James Davis, Crime 101‘s main character, who is portrayed by Hemsworth. If you want to get a feel for the story and themes that may be at play in Layton’s latest cinematic offering, Thief is worth streaming on MGM+, which you can add to your Prime Video subscription as a channel add-on.
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