Caught Stealing couldn’t feel like more of a gearshift for director Darren Aronofsky, often caught in the maelstrom of controversy as a provocateur (Requiem For a Dream, mother!, even The Whale had a ‘mixed’ reception). It still has the dark shades and vicious bouts of Aronosky’s style, but it’s quirkier, snappier, and decidedly more fun. But it’s a much-needed respite from his other works.
When Hank Thompson’s (Austin Butler) shot at baseball fame goes out the window after a tragic accident, he turns to bartending and copious amounts of booze to cope. He lives in a cramped one-bed apartment with fleeting visits from friend-with-benefit Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz) and reluctantly agrees to cat-sit for his unruly neighbour, Russ (Matt Smith sporting a hilarious mohawk). But when Russian mobsters turn up at his door looking for Russ and beat Hank to within an inch of his life, he is drawn into a world of crime and chaos as he seeks answers and vengeance.
For the remainder of the film’s 107-minute runtime, Hank is put through the wringer. Really put through the wringer. He can’t catch a break; the violence and despair, in true Aronofsky fashion, flow thick and fast as things spiral more and more out of control for our lead with each passing minute. It’s tough to watch, and the crunching sound design of the violence unleashed upon him only amplifies the anguish. But Hank’s anger is bubbling under the surface, and when it boils over, the results are thrilling.
It’s in the second and third acts where the story really ramps up as Hank navigates the seedy underbelly of 1998 New York. Watching Hank’s quiet lifestyle and “nice guy” mannerisms being torn apart as he is plunged deeper into the weeds of crime is a lot of fun, and Butler relishes the role and tees up all the emotional shades of this character with aplomb and sells Hank’s increasing despair with conviction. The ensemble is rounded off with memorable turns from Kravitz, Smith, and Regina King, as well as notably fun appearances from Vincent D’Onofrio and Liev Schreiber as a Hasidic mobster-brother duo.
Tonally, the film is perhaps Aronofsky’s most accessible and ‘mainstream’ work to date. It’s thematically simple and doesn’t peel back the layers too deeply on the grit and grime of NYC or its people. Still, it has dark and violent undertones and doesn’t shy away from the violence either. The never-ending tragedy of the first half borders on misanthropic, but it’s especially jarring when the film veers into (admittedly funny) jet-black comedy and ‘heist’ antics in the second half. It’s scuzzy and rough-around-the-edges and never makes a fully cohesive whole that rises above the sum of its parts, but Caught Stealing is propulsive and thrilling in its pockets and a riotous time at the movies nonetheless.
Caught Stealing is in cinemas from 29th August 2025.
Caught Stealing
Summary
Aronofsky’s most accessible and ‘mainstream’ work to date is a riotous time at the movies.
