Darren Aronofsky has given us ballerinas breaking bones (Black Swan), junkies unraveling in fast-cut montages (Requiem for a Dream), and wrestlers body-slamming their way into heartbreak (The Wrestler). Now he sets his sights on… a guy cat-sitting? Don’t laugh—because in Caught Stealing, that cat comes with claws.
Caught Stealing is not the kind of film you’d expect from Aronofsky. Instead of operatic intensity, he leans into something looser, grittier, and—dare we say it—fun. Think crime caper with brains: plenty of gunfights and chases, but still laced with his signature obsessions—guilt, redemption, and the messy business of self-destruction.
Austin Butler trades his Elvis swagger for Hank Thompson, a washed-up baseball prospect who now slings drinks in a grimy New York bar. Hank’s routine is soul-sucking but safe—until his punk neighbor (Matt Smith) asks him to watch his tabby. Suddenly, Hank’s stuck in a nightmare that feels like Mother! on cheap speed: Russian mobsters, Hasidic gangsters (Vincent D’Onofrio and Liev Schreiber chewing scenery like it’s brisket), and a hard-nosed detective (Regina King) who may or may not be on his side.
The rest of the cast doesn’t slack either. Bad Bunny nearly steals the show as Colorado, a Puerto Rican baddie with unpredictable charm and menace. And the Orthodox Jewish brothers feel like they wandered in from a Coen Brothers film, adding just the right splash of absurdity.
Zoë Kravitz, playing Hank’s paramedic girlfriend, tries to keep him alive long enough to figure out why everyone wants him dead. But this is Aronofsky, which means survival comes at the price of humiliation, bruises, and about six pints of spilled blood.
Aronofsky’s fingerprints are all over the action: the chase scenes are breathless, the shootouts chaotic and stylish, and the whole thing hums with a jittery, combustible energy. Sure, the tonal shifts between bloody hijinks and deep psychological musings don’t always glide smoothly—but when the film clicks, it really clicks.
Aronofsky’s direction is at its best during the film’s high-octane sequences. The chase scenes are thrilling, and the shootouts are exhilarating, brimming with kinetic energy and a touch of chaos. Perhaps due to the script from Charlie Huston, who adapts from his novel, the film occasionally struggles to balance its madcap crime elements with its more introspective moments. Aronofsky’s penchant for psychological depth sometimes clashes with the breezy tone of the caper, creating moments where the pacing feels uneven with a bit too much meaningless exposition.
Despite these minor hiccups, Caught Stealing remains an engaging and entertaining ride. It’s a film that doesn’t shy away from its darker undercurrents but still manages to inject humor and humanity into its gritty narrative. While it may not reach the operatic heights of Aronofsky’s earlier works, its grounded approach and stellar performances—particularly Butler’s—make it a standout entry in his filmography.
Think The Wrestler but with baseball bats swapped for lead pipes, or Requiem with fewer needles and more alleyway fistfights. And through it all, Butler stumbles, bleeds, and claws for redemption—while that cat? Still purring.
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 107 mins
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writer: Charlie Huston
Cast: Austin Butler; Regina King; Zoë Kravitz
Genre: Crime | Caper
Tagline: One small Favor. One Big Problem.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I'm fuckin' with you. You never know whatever might pop loose."
Distributor: Sony
Official Site: https://caughtstealing.movie/
Release Date: August 29, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Burned-out ex-baseball player Hank Thompson unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the criminal underbelly of 1990s New York City, forced to navigate a treacherous underworld he never imagined.
