Spoilers
It's hard to watch Crime 101 and not see the influence and homages to Heat, the classic tale of cat cop and mouse criminal.
The parallels are all there: The obsessed veteran, burnout cop fixated on the meticulous criminal that refuses to be caught, the gritty Los Angeles backdrop that feels like a character itself, the palpable tension from main characters missing something in their lives and wanting more. It would be difficult to argue that director Bart Layton's film was heavily influenced by Michael Mann's work.
Aside from a solid narrative, stellar cinematography, and a strong, stoic performance from Chris Hemsworth, Crime 101 is unfortunately lacking elements that made Heat such a tour de force.
What solidifies Heat as a classic in the collective consciousness and what feels like the glue holding the film firmly together, is the dynamic relationship between the protagonist and antagonist, and the lines that divide them. Al Pacino's Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro's Neil McCauley are starkly contrasted in the lives they lead but are so apparently alike in their ideologies and self awareness in relation to the grand scheme.
The tense build up to when they finally meet creates a forward momentum for the film. The confrontation, which is Heat's centerpiece, showcases the differences and similarities between these two worlds. This juxtaposed dissemination is on full display and is set on the table that sits in between them as they breakdown who they are to one another at a diner in the middle of nowhere. That dynamic exchange becomes the driving force for the rest of the film, leading to a climactic final showdown that feels earned.
This relationship is sorely missing from Crime 101 in Chris Hemsworth's James Davis and Mark Ruffalo's Officer Lou, where the two don't develop any sort of nuanced connection other than a rushed interaction that comes across more as small talk than a deep exchange. This lack of connection makes the consequential decisions between the two feel contrived and unearned — There was no justification for Lou to suddenly let James go free or for James to randomly gift Lou his car as a response. Their decisions feel irrelevant and unintentional, and so leaves the film's ending unaccomplished and flat. This holds it back from delivering a satisfying conclusion that makes sense.
Crime 101 makes an attempt to borrow and pay homage to Heat's defining qualities, but is missing what makes it truly great.