There was a time when Hollywood was not only the heart but the capital of the US film industry.

The landscape has changed considerably since those heady days, mostly down to finance – where it’s not just cheaper to film in other states but other countries – and technology, with the dominance of streaming.

This film bucked that trend – to a certain extent – as it was filmed solely in Los Angeles, where a crime caper unfolds.

Living quite well in LA is Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth). He acquires his wealth in an unusual fashion, by stealing it, and so far, he hasn’t been caught.

However, Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) is a smart detective, and he figures out his pattern, as the non-violent crimes appear to take place along the 101 highway.

It may be too late however, as his last job was a close call, and he tells his fence Money (Nick Nolte) that he doesn’t want to do their next planned job. Money isn’t pleased by this, and decides to get Orman (Barry Keoghan), a young whipper snapper, to keep an eye on Mike as he’s bound to lead them to the money.

Meanwhile, an established insurance broker Sharon (Halle Berry), who deals with extremely wealthy clients, gets pulled into the web of crime, as the worlds of criminals and cops collide.

This is the third film that Bart Layton has directed, and his first full fictional drama, based on Don Winslow’s 2020 novella of the same name.

The British director wears his influences on his sleeve however, with his film playing out like a homage to Michael Mann, specifically Heat, as an intricate crime plot unveils itself around the city of Angels.

Hemsworth heads an impressive cast, playing the criminal who means no harm – literally, as he goes about his plans without the use of violence.

It’s more of a rich, character piece than a gripping thriller, as the character’s lives are revealed as they overlap one another. Sharon is getting overlooked at work; whilst Lou is having problems with his marriage; as Mike struggles to open up in relationships, never wanting to reveal too much about his difficult past.

As his first non-documentary film, Layton impresses with his cinematic landscape and the characters within it. It is undeniably shot in LA, that has been somewhat ignored in recent years, but this is certainly a love letter to the city.

It’s pace is a little pedestrian, which is ironic when the city is so unfriendly towards such types on foot, but Layton does just enough to make the whole narrative compelling. It’s helped by the intriguing characters, and their interaction with each other, and some damn fine acting by the likes of Ruffalo.

It’s theatrical release didn’t go down well – despite rave reviews, and was labelled a box office bomb, unfairly; it was picked up by Amazon MGM Studios, who gave it a short release in cinemas, before doing what it actually wanted to do with it, and pop it on Amazon Prime.

Yes it may suffer a tad from Layton’s self-indulgence, but overall it’s an impressive feature for him, beautifully shot and wonderfully told, as he slowly reveals that crime can pay - in LA.