It is impossible to talk about the best crime movies, especially the best heist movies, without mentioning Michael Mann’s Heat. As one of the most influential movies of all time, its impact on pop culture can hardly be exaggerated. It would be nearly impossible to account for every movie and show that has paid homage to the movie’s iconic scenes.
The modern-day crime movie has been shaped by Heat‘s approach to the heist genre. From its deliberate pacing and jaded character designs to its moody cinematography and intoxicating soundtrack, the film essentially updated the noir genre for modern Hollywood. Its impact was even felt outside the movie world, as the US Marines still use Heat‘s shootout scene for weapons training.
Michael Mann’s Heat thus has a legacy of redefining crime cinema, which has led to the creation of many similar movies in the 30 years since its release. However, few movies have successfully captured the essence of Heat and its outlook on Los Angeles. A 2026 movie starring MCU alums Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth in major roles comes close.
Robert De Niro And Al Pacino Shared The Screen In Heat
2 years after Al Pacino broke through with The Godfather and a year after Robert De Niro broke through with Mean Streets, the two of them starred in the same film, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II. Audiences, who loved both the actors, would have to wait for over two decades to see them appear in the same scene.
The diner scene in Heat is Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s first scene together, in which they play a criminal mastermind and the obsessed cop who has been chasing him throughout the movie. De Niro and Pacino elevate the already impactful screenplay by their calculated escalation of the atmosphere, culminating in a satisfying conclusion to the movie’s central conflict.
Both De Niro and Pacino had become icons by the time they starred in Heat, but it marked only the second time that they starred in a movie together. It’s even more surprising that De Niro and Pacino have only starred in a total of four movies, all crime films, despite being popular contemporaries who regularly worked in the genre.
Crime 101 Is A Sprawling Heist Movie Set In Los Angeles
Bart Layton’s first entirely fictional narrative feature film, 2026’s Crime 101, stars Chris Hemsworth as Mike, a courier thief who has managed to escape detection despite months of activity by planning and executing perfect heists. Opposite him are insurance broker Sharon (Halle Berry) and LAPD detective Lou (Mark Ruffalo). The latter has become obsessed with hunting down the elusive Mike.
The reviews of Crime 101 praise the movie’s scope and pace, as it develops all the subplots, even the ones irrelevant to the main storyline. Set in LA, the film treats the city as a character of its own, allowing its instantly recognizable architecture to create a sense of familiarity that helps the film’s nostalgic treatment of the crime genre.
The Cop And The Criminal Share The Screen At The End
Throughout the movie, Lou is the only man who believes Mike exists, and despite pushback from his partner and his LAPD superiors, he never stops his pursuit of the elusive man. So, when Mike and Lou meet in the final scene of Crime 101, the former driving the latter to a hotel, it is the perfect setup for the climax.
While Lou and Mike’s confrontation is divided between a casual conversation during a drive and a heated exchange in a high-pressure situation inside a hotel room, the mood is reminiscent of Al Pacino and De Niro’s diner scene in Heat. The characters may differ temperamentally, but narratively, both the climactic confrontation scenes play the same role in their corresponding movie.
Mark Ruffalo And Chris Hemsworth Have A Rich History Of Working Together
There have been many great acting duos in movie history, but the momentous nature of Heat‘s final confrontation is unparalleled because of its cultural footprint as the first time two of the best actors of all time shared the screen. Crime 101‘s confrontation between Mike and Lou does not have the same impact, but it has a major pop-cultural significance.
Having played Hulk and Thor in the MCU, Ruffalo and Hemsworth have worked together many times. Now, while Chris Hemsworth’s MCU future is confirmed with Thor 5, Hulk is unlikely to return in a Thor movie as he did in Thor: Ragnarok. So, Crime 101 could be the only time the actors share the screen outside an Avengers movie.
Crime 101’s Similarities To Heat Doesn’t Make It Unoriginal
Crime 101 has been receiving positive reviews despite constant observations from audiences and critics about its similarity to Heat. The philosophical conflict between the two main characters, the setting, the pacing, and the characterization – Crime 101 is being called one of the better copies of Heat at its best. This idea overlooks much of what the movie has to offer.
Much like Heat, Crime 101 may have updated the crime thriller genre for the modern-day audience. It is lengthy and slow, challenging modern viewers’ gradually decreasing attention spans, but its characters all use modern lingo. The cinematography and editing of the chase scenes are enthusiastically modern, and Crime 101 adds its own flair to the best narrative in the genre.
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