REVIEW: Crime 101 (2026 Film) - Starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry

Review by Jon Donnis

Bart Layton's Crime 101 arrives with serious intent. Adapted from Don Winslow's novella, it plants its feet firmly in sun-blasted Los Angeles and follows a trio locked in quiet collision. A jewel thief who prides himself on precision. An insurance broker tired of being overlooked. A detective who refuses to let a theory die. It is classic crime material, and Layton treats it with steady hands.

Chris Hemsworth plays Mike Davis, also known as James, as a man who has reduced crime to a system. He avoids violence, plans obsessively, and escapes along the U.S. Route 101 with mechanical calm. The opening diamond job, with its decoy delivery and $3 million in genuine stones, is staged with crisp efficiency. The editing is tight, the movement clear, the geography never confusing. When a bullet grazes him during the robbery, it lands as more than a flesh wound. It is the first crack in a carefully managed life.

Mark Ruffalo gives the film its heartbeat asColumbo like Detective Lou Lubesnick. Dismissed when he argues that one disciplined operator is behind a string of robberies, suspended when he refuses to help cover up a police shooting, Lou carries on regardless. Ruffalo plays him as weary but stubborn, morally bruised yet not broken. There is something quietly compelling in the way he lingers over details, chasing a trace of blood back to Mike's juvenile record and birth name. He feels human. Fallible. Driven.

Halle Berry's Sharon is just as important. Long undervalued at her firm and edged aside by colleagues, she is at a crossroads before Mike ever approaches her. When she finally agrees to help him target Steven Monroe's illicit $5.5 million diamond purchase at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, it feels less like a sudden turn and more like a slow surrender. Berry brings a cool intelligence to the role, especially in the scenes where Ormon's violence forces her hand and she turns to Lou for help. Her frustration is palpable, and it grounds the film's larger mechanics.

Barry Keoghan's Ormon is chaos personified. Brought in by the fence Money after Mike calls off a Santa Barbara robbery, he represents everything Mike tries to avoid. He is impulsive, vicious, and impossible to control. The contrast between the two men adds real tension, particularly once Ormon begins tracking Mike and threatening those around him. The high speed confrontation and the hotel suite showdown both benefit from that unstable energy.

Technically, the film is polished. The cinematography makes strong use of harsh Californian light and wide urban sprawl. The choreography of the heists is precise, and Layton builds towards the final robbery with care. The sequence in the wedding suite, with Lou posing as a courier and Mike seizing the cash at gunpoint, is handled with admirable control. The interruptions, the shifting power, the sudden violence, all land cleanl

Yet for all its craft, Crime 101 never quite escapes the shadow of other crime films. The structure is familiar, the beats predictable. Even the final reversals unfold in ways that feel carefully arranged rather than shocking. The ending is the least compelling stretch. It ties threads together efficiently, but the emotional punch is softer than it should be.

The running time does it no favours. At over two hours and fifteen minutes, the film occasionally feels its weight. Subplots involving Mike's romance with Maya and Lou's estranged marriage add texture, yet they also stretch the pacing. A leaner cut might have sharpened the impact.

Still, there is real pleasure in watching a grown-up thriller mounted with this level of seriousness. The cast is strong across the board, including Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nick Nolte. Layton shows confidence with scale and tension, and the film remains engaging even when it is not surprising.

Crime 101 is not especially original, and it may not linger in the mind for long. Even so, it is well made, well acted, and consistently watchable. A solid 8 out of 10 feels about right.

Out In Cinemas Now

PREVIEW: Dark Summer (2025 Film) - Loyalty, Violence and Survival Collide in a Brutal Urban Thriller

Preview by Jon Donnis

This September, Miracle Media brings Dark Summer to UK digital platforms, a tense and unflinching look at loyalty, betrayal and the unforgiving pull of the streets.

Set in the blistering heat of Houston, the film follows Jarvis, played by Dion Jay, a gifted teenager with a bright future ahead at MIT. That future is suddenly thrown into jeopardy when he is forced into a dangerous drug deal to try and save his dying mother. At his side is Tre, portrayed by Antwan Smith, a suburban friend desperate to prove himself in a world he barely understands. What begins as one desperate decision spirals into a summer of violence, pitting the boys against gang leaders, corrupt police, and merciless cartels.

The bonds of friendship are tested as bullets fly and alliances fracture. With each turn, Jarvis is pushed closer to a line he never thought he would cross, and the sweltering streets become a crucible where survival demands sacrifice.

Directed by Conrad Craven (Black Santa, Bissonnet), Dark Summer mixes the raw energy of a coming-of-age story with the intensity of a gangland thriller. Gritty, character driven and unflinchingly tense, this is a story of young lives caught between possibility and ruin, where every choice carries devastating weight.

Dark Summer arrives on UK digital 1 September from Miracle Media.

Apple TV https://apple.co/4lDxh0U

PREVIEW: The Last Ritual (2025 Film) A Himalayan Mystery Steeped in Secrets

Preview by Jon Donnis

A haunting mystery set against the backdrop of the Himalayas, The Last Ritual is the latest gripping crime thriller from director Pradeep Shahi, arriving on UK digital this August.

After building buzz on the international film festival circuit, this award-winning psychological thriller brings together spiritual tradition and modern-day murder mystery, all set within the striking landscapes of Nepal.

When well-known filmmaker Daya Lama disappears, the media frenzy that follows only adds pressure on Detective Rakshya, who is battling personal demons while trying to get to the truth. Her investigation is complicated, not just by the high-profile nature of the case, but by her own struggles with addiction and a past that continues to haunt her.

Meanwhile, Daya's adopted son Dhiraj sets off on a journey of his own, carrying a mysterious blue bag deep into the Himalayas. As both stories unfold, hidden motives and long-held secrets begin to surface, drawing Rakshya and Dhiraj into a tangled mystery rooted in culture, belief and betrayal.

With a focus on the rarely seen spiritual practice of sky burial, The Last Ritual promises a tense, atmospheric ride through loss, faith and the search for truth.

Out on digital 11 August from Miracle Media.

REVIEW: Locked (2025 Film) - Starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins

Review by Jon Donnis

Locked is a tense, stripped-back thriller that thrives almost entirely on the performances of its two leads. Directed by David Yarovesky and produced by Sam Raimi, it's a film that doesn't waste time with backstory or world-building. Instead, it dumps you straight into a desperate situation and dares you to look away. With Bill Skarsgård locked in a luxury SUV and Anthony Hopkins pulling the strings from afar, the film squeezes every ounce of tension from its simple premise. Whether or not it does enough to justify its feature-length runtime is another question.

Skarsgård plays Eddie Barrish, a down-on-his-luck father who makes one bad decision too many. His plan to rob a seemingly abandoned SUV spirals into a waking nightmare when the vehicle locks him inside. He soon learns it's all part of an elaborate trap designed by William, played with icy calculation by Hopkins. William, a terminally ill doctor turned vigilante, uses his wealth and technology to administer his own brand of justice, punishing petty criminals who cross his path.

The set-up is both intriguing and disturbing. The film rarely leaves the confines of the SUV, and Yarovesky leans into that claustrophobia hard. It's grimy and visceral, with a real-time feel that pushes the tension up as the hours tick by. Watching Eddie deteriorate physically and emotionally becomes the heart of the film, and Skarsgård does some remarkable work here. His expressions, body language, and increasingly frantic attempts to escape carry the weight of the story. Without his full commitment to the role, Locked wouldn't work. Hopkins, on the other hand, is more reserved, largely heard over the phone or through the car's speakers. But even in voice alone, he brings a chilling authority to the character, swinging between paternal calm and clinical menace with ease.

The dynamic between Eddie and William is what keeps things interesting. William sees himself as a righteous force, a man wronged by the world and determined to set it right by making others suffer. But the film never tries to romanticise his actions. If anything, Locked leaves you sitting in the discomfort of that moral grey area. Eddie's no saint, but William's sadistic game pushes the idea of justice to its breaking point. The script does well to let that ambiguity linger without spelling everything out.

Visually, the film is surprisingly engaging despite its limited space. The use of camera angles, lighting, and close-ups creates a sense of movement and emotional flux even when Eddie is stuck in one place. There's a brutal inventiveness to the way the car becomes a prison, a weapon, even a torture chamber. The sound design also deserves credit, every mechanical click, every blast of music or freezing air, feels deliberately placed to keep Eddie and the audience on edge.

Still, there's no denying the film struggles with pacing. At just 90 minutes, it should feel tight, but there are stretches where it drags. Some scenes overstay their welcome, and a few late attempts to ramp up the stakes feel forced. The novelty of the premise wears thin around the halfway point, and while Skarsgård does his best to keep things emotionally charged, you can feel the strain of the runtime on a concept that might have been better served in a shorter format. It doesn't derail the film, but it does dull some of the impact.

There are moments where the social commentary feels like it's reaching for something deeper, touching on class resentment, fatherhood, and the failure of systems. But it never quite digs far enough to leave a lasting impression. The film works best when it stays grounded in the raw, psychological standoff between its two characters.

Locked is at its most effective when it's just two voices battling for moral high ground across a wall of glass and steel. It's a nasty little thriller with a mean streak and just enough humanity to keep you invested. Without Skarsgård and Hopkins, there really wouldn't be much here. But with them, it holds together just enough to be worth the ride.

A generous 7 out of 10.

Out Now on 

Apple TV - https://apple.co/3Zg7xiN

Cinematic High Stakes: European Films That Explore the Casino World

By Jon Donnis

When it comes to movies featuring casinos, Hollywood often dominates the conversation. Films like Casino or Ocean's Eleven have become shorthand for high-stakes drama and slick production. But beyond the bright lights of Las Vegas and Monte Carlo lies a fascinating and often overlooked corner of cinema: European films that use casino settings in creative and atmospheric ways.

In these stories, the casino is rarely the end goal. Instead, it becomes a stage for drama, mystery, and sometimes moral ambiguity. These films offer a grounded take on the glamour often associated with casinos, creating narratives that feel intimate and character-focused rather than built around spectacle.

One such example is the French film La Mentale (2002), where a casino visit becomes a key moment in the unfolding of criminal loyalties and betrayal. The tension in this film builds not through action sequences, but through quiet glances, coded conversations, and the unspoken understanding that in certain places, everything has a price. Hungarian cinema has also explored similar terrain in Dealer (2004), where the tension of everyday decisions unfolds within dark corners of urban life, touching briefly on the casino world as part of a larger system of control and compromise.

Swiss productions have brought a more existential lens to the subject. Gambling, Gods and LSD (2002), partly set in Switzerland, uses real-life footage and interviews to weave a strange and compelling portrait of human behaviour. Casinos in this context appear not as glitzy playgrounds, but as emotional spaces where people look for connection, purpose, or simply a break from routine. Even when used briefly, the settings feel authentic and loaded with quiet tension.

The visual style of these films is another key strength. Directors often use stark lighting, long takes, and quiet sound design to evoke a sense of unease or anticipation. Casinos in European films are not always full of noise and energy. Instead, they often feel like quiet mazes, where every decision carries emotional weight.

Modern-day venues like Casino777 reflect a new kind of casino experience that aligns with how contemporary European cinema sees these spaces. Rather than focusing on flash or excess, filmmakers tend to depict casinos as carefully designed environments, built for interaction, strategy, and psychological drama. In this way, the setting becomes a tool for reflection as much as narrative movement.

Another compelling example comes from Italy with The Gambler Who Wouldn't Die (2013), a gritty neo-noir directed by Giuseppe Gambardella. The film follows an aging card shark navigating the underground poker rooms of Milan, as he attempts to win back not only his pride but also the respect of his estranged daughter. While fictionalised, the film captures a distinctly European atmosphere, combining shadowy interiors, understated performances, and a slow-burning tension that builds around each game. Its focus is less on the thrill of the gamble and more on character study and moral ambiguity, hallmarks of European cinema.

While American movies often use casinos as symbols of ambition or downfall, European cinema tends to explore the subtle pressures and emotional depth that arise when people step into these spaces. Whether it's a smoky poker room in Marseille or a sleek venue in Zurich, the setting always serves the story rather than dominating it.

For those who want a more thoughtful take on casino culture in cinema, these European films offer a compelling alternative. They bring mystery, conflict, and reflection to the table, all without relying on spectacle or predictable plotlines. This more grounded approach turns the casino into something richer, a window into the human experience.