We’ve all seen the heist movie formula. You’ve got the methodical thief, the grizzled cop who doesn’t play by the rules and a labyrinth of L.A. freeways that might as well be a character themselves. Usually, these things play out exactly how you expect. But Crime 101? It feels like director Bart Layton (the guy who gave us The Imposter) decided to take Don Winslow’s novella and inject it with enough adrenaline to make the 405 look like a parking lot.

Is it a masterpiece? Probably not. Did it bomb at the box office, much to the confusion of anyone who likes seeing stars like Hemsworth and Ruffalo share a screen? Absolutely. But really, who cares about the opening weekend receipts other than the fatcats counting up the numbers? Movie lovers care about the grit, the sweat and the sheer audacity of a film that tries to be a classic crime thriller in a world that’s moved on to superheroes and sequels.

Chris Hemsworth plays Mike (or James, if we’re being formal), your classic one last job guy who lives by a code: no guns, no blood, no mess. Naturally, that all goes to hell the second he gets grazed by a bullet. He’s the professional to Ruffalo’s Lou Lubesnick, a detective who is essentially the human embodiment of a stale coffee cup and a bad divorce.

And then there’s Barry Keoghan as Ormon. Keoghan has been making a play for being the reigning king of playing absolute sociopathic weirdos. Here, he’s a biker who brings the kind of unpredictable, unhinged violence that turns a clean heist into a bloody mess. He’s the wrench in the gears, and frankly, he steals every scene he’s in.

The film’s strength is in its pacing. Layton keeps the wheels turning, weaving together the heist mechanics with the desperate lives of the people involved. Halle Berry’s Sharon is the brains of an insurance broker who’s sick of being overlooked. Watching her try to navigate the moral ambiguity of working with a criminal is a highlight.

Where it gets sticky—and maybe why the general public stayed away—is the tone. It’s not quite a high-octane actioner, and it’s not quite a gritty noir. It sits in that strange middle-ground space that fans of 70s crime cinema will love, but might leave the average popcorn-muncher scratching their head.

But for those same film fans, the legendary Nick Nolte pops up as the fence. Seeing him chewing the scenery in a supporting role is the kind of treat that makes a movie worth watching all by itself. And it’s always a joy to see Jennifer Jason Leigh in a film.

Crime 101 is a slick, stylish and ultimately melancholy look at guys who spend their lives trying to outrun their pasts on the concrete arteries of Southern California. It’s got a 1968 Camaro, a tense standoff at the Beverly Wilshire, and enough double-crosses to keep you guessing until the final frame.

Did it lose $17 million? Sure. But sometimes the biggest box office flops are the ones that deserve a second life on late-night cable or a dusty shelf in your collection. 

You can get this from Deep Discount.