The Los Angeles heist thriller is scarcely an original premise, but Bart Layton and his star-studded cast fully lean into the intrigue in this adaptation of Don Winslow’s short story of the same name.
In the opening sequence, we are introduced to our characters, the most important of all being the roadway itself. The movie begins to paint a picture of three individuals each struggling with their own set of flaws. Chris Hemsworth is Mike Davis, a clever thief with a moral code whose modus operandi is robbing locations just off Route 101. Mark Ruffalo’s Detective Lou Lubesnick is hot on his heels despite the disapproval of his superiors. Meanwhile, Halle Berry’s Sharon faces ageism and sexism in her insurance broker’s firm as she is denied being named a partner despite years of loyalty.
Their stories collide when Mike denies a risky heist from his boss Money (Nick Nolte), and Money’s backup, the reckless Ormon (Barry Keoghan), botches the job. Now Mike is setting up his own heist on a wealthy businessman and his wife, while Ormon is dispatched by Money to learn about this new plan and do the job himself. Throughout the 140-minute runtime, we find ourselves split between these three main characters and their lives as chaos ensues on the Pacific Coast. But does it stick the landing?
Mike is a great thief; he is meticulous, implied to be struggling with OCD and some secret from his past. He is restrained in his personality, a choice meant to strengthen his serious persona. Yet the execution of this can be difficult to believe with Hemsworth in the role. As opposed to piquing the interest of the audience regarding what lies beneath, his performance comes off as stale. There is something we don’t know about our complicated protagonist, but there is not much urgency to find out what is wrong.
Enter the love interest, Monica Barbaro’s Maya, a publicist who literally crashes into Mike’s life and helps him find a little humanity before their inevitable breakup as the heist plan spirals. Among the complexities that arise in the plot, her character is simply put to the wayside save for a few cute date scenes and other stereotypical girlfriend bits. It is an odd choice that this actress (fresh out of a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated A Complete Unknown) would be so underutilized. Her lack of presence led me to wonder if she would return in Act III by being somehow embroiled in the schemes. Instead, Mike predictably sends her a childhood photo and asks if they can get back together.
As Mike juggles a girlfriend and a career in crime, he must also evade the only person who understands his modus operandi: Ruffalo’s Lou Lubesnick. An aging veteran cop who has hit a rough patch and is determined to prove his theory of a robber operating solely on the 101 does seem to harken back to previous cop characters over decades of film, but the script is able to flesh out his arc better than the supposed main character. Paired with Berry’s Sharon, whose frustration and desperation can be felt through the screen, they prove to be the driving force of the narrative. Keoghan’s performance as Ormon also gets a shoutout for capturing the rookie’s explosive rage and lack of experience in the business as he tries to prove himself.
Though the first two acts take their time in building up the conflict, Act III kicks the movie into high gear as the storylines finally converge and brings all of the previously separate characters together into the same room for the ultimate showdown. In a standoff, the two thieves and the detective face off while the millionaire couple watches helplessly, unaware of the one person connecting them all. This is preceded by what stands out as the most riveting scenes in the movie: Mike driving Lou holding a briefcase of money, and a tense conversation about vintage cars and Steve McQueen movies. Are they aware of each other’s plots?
All comes to a head in a somewhat anticlimactic ending. In true Hollywood fashion, Mike is able to atone for the crimes and make peace with Lou and Maya. The music swells and the credits start to roll, but something feels off. This would be the lack of screen time for Mike’s boss, Money, in Act III. The ending seems to forget the existence of this character. Shouldn’t there have been some sort of payoff in Mike giving Lou the location of this greedy, insidious man and sending him to prison as opposed to simply gifting him a vintage car? Perhaps there wasn’t enough time. Or they’re holding out for a sequel.
Despite these shortcomings, this film does succeed in presenting an interesting heist plot and is able to flesh out most of its characters to provide the drama and tension on which the story relies. Underlying themes surrounding the precariousness of morality and the nature of a capitalist society are explored in a Los Angeles captured in its most raw, whether it’s the lights of traffic on the 101 at twilight or the stretch of tents that line the sidewalks in the day. A few car chases later, and this movie isn’t the worst way to kill time on the weekend.
