'Caught Stealing' Review: Austin Butler Shines in Darren Aronofsky’s Grueling, Messy 90s NYC Caper
Darren Aronofsky's output has been inconsistent lately. The week before I saw his newest movie, Caught Stealing, I finally saw Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream for the first time (both went hard and required an Advil afterward). Yes, I had reviewed and given positive reviews to The Whale and Mother!, but after watching the actual Aronofsky peak, I would concur with the "hasn’t had the same juice as he used to" crowd. With his sprawling NYC caper starring Austin Butler, based on the 2004 book by screenwriter Charlie Huston in his feature debut, Aronofsky showcases his most impressive directing effort since Black Swan. Even though Caught Stealing aims to be a throwback to darkly comic crime thrillers, the result is an off-kilter and taxing tonal mess of a caper movie that keeps hitting foul balls.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of SONY
MPA Rating: R (strong violent content, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity and brief drug use.)
Runtime: 1 Hour and 47 Minutes
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures, Protozoa Pictures
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Screenwriters: Charlie Huston
Cast: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio, Griffin Dunne, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, Carol Kane, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Nikita Kukushkin
Release Date: August 29, 2025
Henry "Hank" Thompson (Austin Butler) was a child baseball star in Los Angeles. He hurt his knee in a car accident in high school, which ended his baseball career and killed his best friend Dale (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai). Today, Hank lives in New York City, works as a bartender, and is about to make things official with Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz). The main issue is that he's an alcoholic, which is linked to his PTSD.
One day, his next-door Brit-punk Mohican-haired neighbor, Russ (a hilarious Matt Smith), asks him to watch his cat as he heads off to London to see his ailing father. Soon afterward, Hank is approached and attacked by Russian Mafia members looking for Russ. The situation deteriorates when he is admitted to the hospital and then becomes the epicenter of a rat race involving various groups: the mysterious Detective Roman (played brilliantly by Regina King as always), the drug king Colorado (Benito A. Martínez Ocasio), and the Jewish hitmen Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully (Vincent D'Onofrio). Hank's attempts to act morally fail miserably, and he must now find a way to escape the life-or-death situation he has found himself in. And maybe heal from his trauma while he's at it.
Caught Stealing's 90s NYC landscape serves as a canvas for Aronofsky's caper skills
It's about damn time Aronofsky got the hell out of the house. I’m referring to his two most recent films, The Whale and Mother!, which are single-set and leave one yearning for his more expansive narratives. Caught Stealing finds the filmmaker on a new kind of venture as he channels a ‘90s studio action film. Think of Brian De Palma, early-day Guy Ritchie, or Michael Bay minus style. But what it lacks in flair, it makes up for in craft. His focus on location filming lends a certain grandeur to the caper elements. The story deconstructs New York City's heated gentrification (which is very timely), turning it into a power struggle between all the criminal gangs, one more ruthless than the other. His residence in the lower Manhattan area provides him with a sense of the city's vastness, whether he’s traversing rooftops and apartment terraces or navigating through Chinatown shops with expertly sweeping dolly shots.
The majority of Caught Stealing is reminiscent of the conventional genre capers that were not as well-crafted or edited as they presently are. This is thanks to Aronofsky’s two go-to guys, DP Matthew Libatique — the master of shooting crisp NYC-set thrillers this year (Highest 2 Lowest) — and editor Andrew Weisblum, who gives the movie the right rhythm and pacing to keep you engaged throughout.
Austin Butler hits another home run performance despite Hank’s shortcomings
Austin Butler demonstrates once again that he’s among the finest actors working today with impeccable range and star power. Hank is depicted as a relatable victim of circumstance who is easygoing and grounded. Oddly enough, that's a new venture for Butler. He evokes a somber charisma and gentleness that contrasts with his large build. Butler portrays him with effortless empathy and charm, although he’s not as complex as some of Aronofsky’s other main characters.
For the time they share onscreen, Butler and Zoë Kravitz share decent chemistry. The supporting cast of Caught Stealing mostly steals the show. The movie stays tense thanks to Regina King's performance as Roman and Matt Smith's over-the-top comedic relief, Russ. Furthermore, Vincent D'Onofrio and Liev Schreiber deserve recognition for their uncanny portrayals of the lethal Orthodox Jewish hitman brothers. Despite being the most frightening characters in the film, they also provided me with the most laughs.
Caught Stealing is unsettling but not the enticing kind
Caught Stealing is entertaining and structurally well put together. However, Huston's script is a tonally inconsistent mess. Many Aronofsky films feature leads with engrossing personalities, pushing back against a cruel and chaotic world. Hank is a grounded, straight man. He's also too much of a pushover to root for. The tone is off-kilter as the film emphasizes the graphic violence and torment inflicted on him, whether it be physical or psychological. Huston's writing attempts to take Hank's PTSD seriously, but it's often interspersed with cartoonish madness that's downright unsettling. And not in an engrossing way like Requiem or Black Swan. No, this is just brutal and mean-spirited.
Whatever momentum Huston's story strikes a quarter of the way in is destroyed as it takes a huge left turn — one that Hank proceeds to move past with a nonchalant demeanor. He's at a five when everyone in their right mind would be at a 10. This goes beyond Russ's adorable cat (who is also a reflection of Hank and his arc) getting hurt, which should've made him go to a raging 10 in the first place. By the time Hank finally begins to retaliate against his oppressors, it’s too late for me to care. Not to mention the convoluted nature of the plot, which becomes increasingly difficult to navigate as the betrayals and connections among all these parties become increasingly blurred.
Final Statement
Despite the talented cast and Darren Aronofsky’s direction, Caught Stealing is a gonzo crime thriller that is entertaining, albeit unsettling due to the careless narrative and poor tonal and story choices.
Rating: 2.5/5
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