I' m not all that sure it's easy to make many arguments in favour of the conglomeration of media brands that we're in the middle of right now – every time one studio or streamer buys another, it feels like the outcomes tend to be bad for creativity and viewers. Still, Amazon owning MGM does at least mean that the latter's movies go on Prime Video pretty sharpish most of the time, so that's a silver lining, eh?
A great case in point came on the first of this month, in the form of Crime 101, a well-reviewed and good-looking crime caper starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry. It's streaming now on Prime Video and I'm extremely confident it's going to go on to do some very tidy numbers for Amazon.
The movie has basically everything you could want from a blockbuster, including more than one big star (I haven't even mentioned Barry Keoghan) and a premise that's simple enough to be really clear, but has enough depth to make for some doubtless enjoyable plot twists.
Hemsworth plays a meticulous high-end thief who plans his crimes to the smallest detail, hitting people while they're in transit and stealing incredibly valuable assets without leaving a shred of evidence behind him. His biggest score yet will only be possible if he can persuade a powerful insurance exec, Halle Berry, to give him the intel he needs to nab some proper jewels.
In the background, though, he's being tracked not just by the police (Mark Ruffalo in the sort of part he knows inside and out) but also by rival criminals (who send in Barry Keoghan to scupper things). That means Hemsworth has to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge his way out of ambushes, chases and more, and the film looks like a rip-roaring good time.
Again, it also got really solid reviews, and seems like an absolute banker if you're looking for a movie night soon and you're a Prime Video subscriber. It's the sort of film that's pretty much guaranteed to be a hit with your dad, too, if you're ever in need of a family movie.
