Crime 101 is out now in theaters—and while the ending isn’t grisly and doesn’t require much explanation, I imagine you still have questions about what happens during the finale.
Below, I’ll answer your biggest questions—with some input from writer-director Bart Layton for good measure—about the Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures heist thriller.
Who dies in Crime 101?
None of the new film’s main trio – ie. Chris Hemsworth’s Mike Davis (whose real name is James), Mark Ruffalo’s detective Lou Lubesnick and Halle Berry’s Sharon Colvin.
The only major loss of Crime 101‘s finale is Barry Keoghan’s dashing young upstart Ormon. He dies of a gunshot wound during the Mexican fight between himself, Lubesnick and Davis as part of the $11 million heist that Davis is trying to pull off to effectively retire from a life of crime.
Although it is difficult to determine who delivers the fatal blow, it appears that Davis is responsible. The anxious jewel thief apparently pulled the trigger, breaking his strict self-imposed moral code in the process, where no one ever gets hurt during a heist he attempts.
Though Crime 101 is a near-authentic adaptation of Don Winslow’s 2011 short story namesake, there was always the possibility that its ending could diverge from the source material. So did Layton ever consider killing Mike/James, Detective Lubesnick, and/or Sharon in an attempt to shock the audience?
“I didn’t want any of them to get bumped off at the end,” Layton told me during an exclusive chat ahead of the crime film’s February 13 release. “But I felt it was important that they each get an ending that you didn’t see coming.”
What happens to Davis, Lubesnick and Sharon in Crime 101?
Okay, so what do happen for Crime 101′s primary characters before its credits roll?
After Ormon is shot and killed, Lubesnick, who has been stalking Davis before and during the events of the film, makes the unexpected decision not to arrest Hemsworth’s protagonist. Lubesnick gently disarms a clearly distressed Davis and takes pity on him, choosing instead to let Davis go free.
Reunited with Sharon at the yoga class she and Lubesnick frequent, he reveals that he’s finally cracked the Hollywood Freeway jewelry thief case (NB: Sharon already knows it was Mike/James).
But before they part for the last time, he gives Sharon an envelope containing five real diamonds that Lubesnick kept from the botched robbery. It’s not only a symptom of how alienated he feels about his law enforcement job, but also a way for him to secretly get back at his unsupportive Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) colleagues and thank Sharon for helping him. Remember, she told Lubesnick all about Davis and his plan. Without her, he would still be stuck at number one.
Subsequently, Sharon, finally leaving the insurance company that has constantly overlooked her and refused to promote her, due to her age and gender, now possesses something incredibly valuable that she can sell to help fund her own company. But she’s not the only one who gets a gift before the film ends.
After saying goodbye to Sharon, Lubesnick returns to his office desk to find a mysterious package. Following the instructions he finds inside the main package, he goes to a nearby garage. There he finds the dark green 1968 Camaro that Davis owns. As it happens, to thank Lubesnick for not apprehending him, Davis has left the car—a model Lubesnick previously suggested was his dream car—to the stubborn detective. Cue Lubesnick gets a somewhat happy ending as he takes his new wheels for a spin.
But what about Davis? We see him drive down the Hollywood Freeway, stop at a nearby layover, then perform a U-turn to return to the Californian city.
The reason? One of Crime 101‘s final scenes sees Maya (Monica Barbaro), who dated Davis before breaking up with him because he wouldn’t open up to her about his past, also receive a package at her workplace. When she opens it, she finds a photograph of James sitting on the porch of his childhood home with his family. Turning it over, she finds and reads a short message from Davis, prompting her to leave her desk and presumably set off to find him.
“It’s a slightly different ending to the novella,” Layton said of Crime 101‘s final. “The most important thing about the characters is that they don’t necessarily get what they want, but they get what they need.
“Really, it’s a movie about how we all live,” Layton continued. “Especially in LA, with the external perception of success with cars, clothes, [and] opportunity, and then have this pressure or status anxiety because of it. But it’s also about what drives these characters and that those things aren’t actually what’s going to make them happy.”
Is there a mid- or post-credits scene in Crime 101?
No. If you keep watching the credits to appreciate the amount of people who worked on it, then you should be proud of yourself.
But if you’re hoping for a credits scene — you know, like any Marvel movie that may or may not feature MCU stars Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo — you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
Is a Crime 101 sequel in development?
Neither Amazon nor Sony have publicly announced that there will be a follow-up, but Layton admitted that he hasn’t really thought about what a sequel might look like.
“I hadn’t thought about it until we had the premiere and everyone was asking me ‘What happens in the next one?'” he replied. “I guess people fell in love with the characters so much that they want and need more, but I haven’t really thought about that.
“And you know I had fun,” he continued. “I loved the experience, and I love those actors. As for the experience of doing another one, I’d be very excited about it, but I don’t know if I’d be the right guy to write it or direct it, so we’ll see.”
Is Crime 101 the first of many Don Winslow adaptations we’ll be getting?
That doesn’t mean Layton’s time working on film retellings of Winslow’s literary works is already over. Crime 101 is actually only one of six short stories that make up Destroyedan anthology that similarly explores America’s seedy underbelly. So is Layton open to bringing any of these tales to life?
“Possibly,” he teased. “I’m talking to Don about adapting other stories from his incredible body of work.
“For me, it’s not just about whether it’s a great story,” he continued. “It’s also whether it’s a great story that gives me the opportunity to hopefully smuggle it into something that’s more conversational and leaves you with something to think about when you get out. [of the theater]which is about how we live and the choices we make.
“So I have to ask myself, ‘Does that story allow me to explore some of the more interesting ideas? I guess you’ll have to see.’
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