Studio: MGM Studios (Amazon)
Release Date: June 30, 2026
Rating: R
Film: 3.5/5
Plot Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles,
Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose heists have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices—and the realization that there can be no turning back.
My Thoughts Overall, this is a pretty good cat-and-mouse tale. The concept of a jewelry thief who picks his targets based upon proximity to a major freeway and ensures that no one is ever harmed during his robberies has you wondering what led him to this life of crime. While enjoyable, the film does have flaws. Character development is minimal and you're thrown right into the action from the first scene, making it initially hard to understand the motives of the main characters. As the film progresses, this becomes better known, which will probably make the second viewing more enjoyable.
Regardless, all of the main characters evolve throughout the film and their true colors come out in the end. The film kept me entertained and guessing how it would eventually turn out and I enjoyed the presentation and the performances, particularly of Hemsworth and his love interest, Maya (Monica Barbaro). She senses he’s hiding something but is still drawn to him, which highlights their great chemistry. While I loathe Ruffalo’s public persona, he’s a very good actor and does his usual bang-up job here. Berry still looks great at nearly 60 years-old and shows she’s more than just a pretty face with her performance.
The UHD presentation delivers a very clean and precise image. Detail is strong in both close-ups and longer shots with the nighttime skyline of Los Angeles looking particularly inviting. Colors are accurate and well-saturated, black levels are deep, and the use of HDR is put to good use with plenty of bright highlights to go around.
The Dolby Atmos track is equally impressive with excellent sound placement throughout the room, clear and intelligible dialog, strong dynamic range, and some great use of LFE with the aggressive soundtrack and plenty of heist and chase sequences. The mix creates a nice sense of immersion throughout the film.
Video 9/10
Audio 9/10 (Dolby Atmos)
Special Features: Conclusion It’s nice to see that Amazon is willing to release their films on physical media and is supporting the UHD format as well as Dolby Atmos audio. This is a solid film that’s entertaining, although slightly imperfect. The lack of character development is a bit unsettling at the start, but it delivers enough tension and clever moments to make it worth watching and is easy to recommend for those who are drawn to this genre.
Reference Review System: JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(I utilized
Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Zidoo UHD8000 Media Player
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
Mini DSP HD
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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