‘Caught Stealing’ review: Aronofsky’s curve ball

The Black Swan director plays it fast and loose with a stacked cast and New York City behind them in Caught Stealing.

If you’re confused by seeing Darren Aronofsky’s name in the director’s credit of Caught Stealing, you’re not alone. The Oscar-nominated director is known for dark, emotionally intense dramas that can span from a quaint farmhouse to whole oceans of time and space. That said, it’s a little odd that the man behind Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream is now doing something more…fun? Or at least something that sounds more fun.

Caught Stealing follows Hank (Austin Butler), a former California baseball prospect turned wisecracking bartender in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It’s 1998 and all Hank cares about is the San Francisco Giants and cracking a cold one with his girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz). One day, Hank’s British punk neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to look after his cat until he returns from a trip to London. It’s convenient timing, as two Russian mobsters then show up looking for Russ and beat up Hank instead. Now with a frisky cat and a kidney taken out, Hank has to deal with a Puerto Rican gangster (Bad Bunny), a probing detective (Regina King), and two Hasidic drug pushers (Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio) all connected by Russ’ deeds with poor Hank stuck in the middle of it all.

A whole new ballgame.

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures.

The trailers and promotion for Caught Stealing make it look like a 90s crime thriller with some Tarantino flare in the witty dialogue and gritty violence. Which, again, is far away from Aronofsky’s wheelhouse. What’s surprising is how both the director rises to this more grounded, energetic material and how the script keeps the pressure on Hank. Aronofsky keeps a consistent pace through the 107-minute runtime and does well in framing Hank’s wild journey. He’s even picked up a fanciness for drones that make nice crane shots that go between apartment buildings and through the Unisphere from the ‘64 World’s Fair. While Caught Stealing has a consistent energy, it doesn’t become heart-racing or as bold as Aronofsky’s other works. It’s as if the director is starting over, making the kind of stripped-down thriller a film school grad would do with their first taste of studio funding.

Credit to screenwriter Charlie Huston (who adapted his own novel of the same name) for keeping his protagonist wildly out of his element and just trying to survive. It would’ve been easy to turn Hank into some kind of streetwise badass, impervious to pain and always a step ahead of the plot just because he’s played by a Hollywood pretty boy. Fear not, because Hank takes many a beating around the gritty Manhattan streets. He’s charming, sure, but he’s still just one random guy trying desperately to keep things together. Caught Stealing stands as a daytime flip on After Hours or Good Time, even if those two have better visual flare. They also have more interesting plots and characters, while everyone in Caught Stealing feels like archetypes only elevated by whoever is playing them.

Caught Stealing is a proud New York City movie, but thankfully one that doesn’t shove that pride down your throat. Aronofsky is a Brooklyn native and he clearly remembers the looks and sounds of NYC’s dirtier corners. There’s no bright neon lights or bustling city streets, just overcrowded bars and cracked sidewalks with trash overflowing. Coney Island is a refuge for the struggling folks and people begrudgingly march into Shea Stadium to watch the Mets suck. All that said, Aronofsky isn’t throwing all of that in the audience’s face. It’s more like detailed background dressing that adds extra dimensions to whatever is going on. Sometimes the city has more character to it than the people in the movie.

Stepping up to the plate.

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures.

But no matter where Caught Stealing goes, Butler’s star power lights the way. He may always be known as the best Elvis at the movies, but Caught Stealing is Butler’s make-or-break moment as a leading man and for the most part, he delivers. His charm is just right, making chemistry with everyone he shares the screen with (especially Kravitz) and looking just grubby enough to be a convincing Manhattan scamp. Best of all is how vulnerable he makes Hank and how he never lets him get away unscathed. For all the James Dean-esque posing Butler can do, he shows intelligence and understanding of a good protagonist: someone trying to stay alive AND do the right thing, but barely managing to do both. Even with a stacked supporting cast, Butler is the one carrying the movie.

Not that there aren’t highlights in that cast. Kravitz is one of Hollywood’s most underrated actors, holding more charisma in her hair bun than other young stars show on their TikToks. She has great chemistry with Butler and deserves more room to flex her abilities. Smith is also a delight, yukking it up with a thick London accent and looking like a Sex Pistols roadie. Though he’s been trying (and succeeding) to shake-off his Doctor Who days, it’s nice to see Smith still have the level of energy and comedy chops he did while partying in the TARDIS. Of course, a huge cast like this may not all fit in a movie. Schreiber and D’Onofrio are nice droll comedic relief, but they’re not here often enough. King has the shortest end of the stick, doing nothing more than being a stoic cop desperately missing some emotional investment.

The bottom line.

Caught Stealing is not revelatory by any means, but it shows that Aronofsky and Butler know how to pivot their skills. The former proves he can leave his pretentiousness at the door for a straightforward, propulsive drama. The latter shows he’s ready to carry a movie with more than just raw charisma (even though he’s got plenty of it). By no means a home run, Caught Stealing knows how to get on base and score big.

Caught Stealing is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer here.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures. Read more articles by Jon Winkler here.

Jon Winkler