Bart Layton’s career has been defined by crime stories. His breakout film, the acclaimed 2012 documentary The Imposter, centered on French con artist Frederic Bourdin, whose charismatic nature allowed him to pose as a missing Texas boy. He followed that up with American Animals, a heist flick about the theft of a rare book about birds. That film starred a hot young cast in Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, and Blake Jenner. I was in attendance at the world premiere and it blew me away, showing so much potential for Layton as a director to keep an eye on. Now Layton is back with Crime 101, a ballsy heist flick with a star-studded cast and the burden of being compared to Michael Mann’s Heat.
Based on a novella by popular crime author Don Winslow, Crime 101 stars Chris Hemsworth as Mike, an elusive jewel thief working along Route 101 in Los Angeles. A dogged detective, an unappreciated insurance agent, and an unhinged rival threaten to throw the order of Mike’s life into chaos. Layton was graced with the kind of starry cast any director would kill for: Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and a reunion with Keoghan.
I was fortunate to spend a few minutes talking with Layton about Crime 101. We talked about how he discovered Winslow’s book, what made Hemsworth perfect for the lead role, and why movies like this that are made for adults don’t get made anymore.
Crime 101 is in theaters now. You can check out the interview below, and please consider subscribing to the YouTube channel and sending us a Like!
