Crime 101 is out now in theaters – and, while its ending isn’t mind-blowing and doesn’t require much explanation, I imagine you’ve still got questions about what happens during its finale.
Below, I’ll answer your biggest questions – with some input from writer-director Bart Layton for good measure – about the Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures heist thriller.
Who dies in Crime 101?
None of the new movies‘ main trio – i.e. Chris Hemsworth’s Mike Davis (whose real name is James), Mark Ruffalo’s Detective Lou Lubesnick, and Halle Berry’s Sharon Colvin.
The only major casualty of Crime 101‘s finale is Barry Keoghan’s hot-tempered young upstart Ormon. He dies from a gunshot wound during the Mexican standoff between himself, Lubesnick, and Davis as part of the $11 million robbery that Davis tries to pull off in order to effectively retire from a life of crime.
Although it’s hard to ascertain who deals the fatal blow, it appears that Davis is responsible. The anxious jewelry thief seemingly pulled the trigger and, in the process, broke his strict self-imposed moral code where nobody ever gets hurt during a heist he attempts to carry out.
Even though Crime 101 is a near-authentic adaptation of Don Winslow’s 2011 novella namesake, there was always the possibility that its ending could deviate from the source material. So, did Layton ever consider killing off Mike/James, Detective Lubesnick, and/or Sharon in a bid to shock audiences?
“I didn’t want any of them to get bumped off at the end,” Layton told me during an exclusive chat ahead of the crime movie’s February 13 release. “But, I felt it was important that they each go an ending that you didn’t see coming.”
What happens to Davis, Lubesnick, and Sharon in Crime 101?
Okay, so what does happen to Crime 101′s primary characters before its end credits roll?
After Ormon is shot dead, Lubesnick, who’s pursued Davis before and during the events of the film, makes the unexpected decision not to arrest Hemsworth’s protagonist. Carefully disarming a clearly distressed Davis, Lubesnick takes pity on him and instead chooses to let Davis walk away scot-free.
Reuniting with Sharon at the yoga class that she and Lubesnick frequent, the latter reveals he’s finally cracked the case of the Hollywood Freeway’s jewelry thief (NB: Sharon already knows it was Mike/James).
However, before they part ways for the final time, he gives Sharon an envelope, which contains five real diamonds, which Lubesnick kept from the botched heist. It’s not only a symptom of how alienated he feels about his law-enforcing job, but also a way of secretly getting back at his unsupportive Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) colleagues and to thank Sharon for helping him. Remember, she told Lubesnick all about Davis and his plan. Without her, then, he’d still be stuck at square one.
Subsequently, Sharon, who finally quit the insurance firm that’s constantly overlooked her, and refused to promote her, due to her age and gender, now possesses something incredibly valuable that she can sell to help finance her own company. But, she’s not the only one who gets gifted something before the movie ends.
After saying goodbye to Sharon, Lubesnick returns to his office desk to find a mysterious package. Following the instructions he finds inside head parcel, he heads to a nearby garage. There, he finds the 1968 dark green Camaro that Davis owns. As it happens, to thank Lubesnick for not apprehending him, Davis has left the car – a model Lubesnick previously suggested was his dream car – to the dogged detective. Cue Lubesnick getting a somewhat happy ending as he takes his new wheels for a spin.
But, what about Davis? We see him driving along the Hollywood Freeway, coming to a stop at a nearby layby, and then performing a U-turn to head back to the Californian city.
The reason? One of Crime 101‘s last scenes sees Maya (Monica Barbaro), who dated Davis before breaking up with him because he wouldn’t open up to her about his past, also receive a package at her workplace. Opening it, she finds a photograph of James sitting on the porch of his childhood home alongside his family. Flipping it over, she finds and reads a brief message from Davis, which causes her to leave her desk and presumably head off to find him.
“It’s a slightly different ending to the novella,” Layton said of Crime 101‘s finale. “The main thing with the characters is that they don’t necessarily get what they want, but they get what they need.
“Really, it’s a movie about how we’re all living,” Layton continued. “Especially in L.A, with the external perception of success with the cars, clothes, [and] apartment, and then having this pressure or status anxiety because of that. But, it’s also about what’s driving these characters and and those things not actually being what’s going to make them happy.”
Is there a mid-credits or post-credits scene in Crime 101?
No. If you stick around to watch the credits to appreciate the amount of people who worked on it, then kudos to you.
However, if you’re hoping for an end credits scene – you know, like any Marvel movie that MCU stars Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo are or aren’t in – you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Is a sequel to Crime 101 in development?
Neither Amazon or Sony have publicly announced that there’ll be a follow-up, but Layton admitted he hasn’t really mulled over what a sequel could look like.
“I hadn’t thought about it until we had the premiere and everyone was asking me ‘What happens in the next one?'” he replied. “I guess people fell in love with the characters so much that they want and need more, but I haven’t really thought about that.
“And, you know, I had a blast,” he continued. “I loved the experience and I love those actors. Certainly, in terms of the experience of doing another one, I would be very excited by that, but I don’t know if I would be the right guy to write it or direct it, so we’ll see.”
Is Crime 101 the first of many Don Winslow film adaptations we’ll get?
That doesn’t mean Layton’s time working on film retellings of Winslow’s literary works is already done. Indeed, Crime 101 is just one of six short stories that make up Broken, an anthology that similarly explores America’s seedy underbelly. So, is Layton open to bringing any of those narratives to life?
“Possibly,” he teased. “I’m talking to Don about adapting other stories from his incredible body of work.
“For me, it’s not just about whether it’s a great tale,” he continued. “It’s also whether it’s a great story that gives me the ability to hopefully smuggle it in something that’s more conversation provoking and leaves you with something to think about after you come out [of the theater], which is about how we live and the choices that we make.
“So, I’d have to ask myself ‘does that story give me the ability to explore some of those more interesting ideas? I guess you’ll have to see.”
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
