An expert theif, his rival, a police detective, and a disillusioned insurance broker all cross paths in LA leading up to a major job being planned by the former.

Crime 101 assembles a cast and plays to all their strengths while allowing its slow pace to breathe without an overabundance of massive action scenes, though when they come, they’re rather tense. Chris Hemsworth is fun in the leading role and refreshingly understated, but its the players around him who really shine here. Halle Berry is given her strongest role in years as a character attempting to take charge of her own life, while Mark Ruffalo is great as a detective on Hemsworth’s tail. Monica Barbaro also stands out as one of the film’s most interesting characters, while Barry Keoghan is always captivating and unpredictable.

The movie takes the time to flesh out its characters, even if it takes a bit of time to get invested into the conflict. Simple dialogue scenes shared between Hemsworth and Barbaro or Ruffalo and Berry are just as important to the story as the stakes and cat-and-mouse element of the lead character trying to get away with his crimes. It never quite challenges any expectations it sets, but the film’s patience rewards its audience, many of whom will enjoy the ride if they’re already fans of the action/crime thriller genres.