Crime 101 writer-director Bart Layton reveals his Mount Rushmore of crime genre movies: 'they're endlessly brilliant and rewatchable'

The creative mind behind Crime 101's movie adaptation opens up about his four favorite genre films

07 Feb 2026, 15:02 · TechRadar

News By Tom Power published 7 February 2026

Crime 101, which stars Chris Hemsworth, lands in theaters on February 13 (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios/Sony Pictures)

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Crime 101 is ready to stake its claim for a place in the pantheon of crime films.

One of 2026's crop of new movies, Crime 101, based on Don Winslow's novella namesake, is billed as a seat-gripping heist thriller that might 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's certainly got the star power to get bums on seats.

According to writer-director Bart Layton, though, Crime 101's true ace up the sleeve is its nostalgia factor. Raised on a healthy diet of neo-noir, action thriller and crime-comedy films, Layton is nothing if not a crime-genre disciple.

So, in an exclusive interview ahead of Crime 101's worldwide release on Friday, February 13, I had to ask Layton what he considered to be the Mount Rushmore of crime movies. These are the four he picked.

Heat (1995)

Where to stream: Hulu and Plex (US); Netflix and Disney+ (UK and Australia)
Runtime: 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 Heat, right?" Layton said. "For most people, I think it's the pinnacle of the entire genre. It's endlessly brilliant and rewatchable."

He's not wrong. The nearly three-hour-long crime drama is a timeless flick that's influenced countless entertainment and pop culture properties, including Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and the universally popular Grand Theft Auto videogame franchise. Heck, Heat became so entrenched in the zeitgeist upon its mid-1990s release that it actually inspired real-life crimes, including the 1997 North Hollywood shootout.

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