Caught Stealing: Review
The trailer does not do the film justice, but wow, is it an introduction. Marketed as Darren Aronofsky’s stylish madcap crime film, Caught Stealing is all of that and so much more, as washed-up baseball prodigy Hank (Austin Butler) navigates the violent underworld of NYC circa 1998. Along with Butler, Aronofsky rounds out his cast with the likes of Zoe Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Bad Bunny, Liev Schreiber, and Vincent D’Onofrio. Boasting a talent-rich cast with a frenetic premise, Caught Stealing promises to be a wild ride through the Lower East Side.
Hank and Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz) are thinking about getting serious. He loves baseball and his Mom. She is a city girl and loves to smoke. The chemistry is palpable, the sex is hot, and the two are building a nice routine together. Yet everything takes a drastic turn when Hank’s punk rocker friend, Russ (Matt Smith), has to leave town to tend to his ailing father. Russ skips town in a hurry, begging Hank to watch his cat. Hank is more of a dog person, but cat sitting for a friend in need is well within his wheelhouse. But when angry Ukrainian mobsters come looking for Russ and find Hank instead, Hank is beaten within an inch of his life. Waking up in the ICU two days later, Hank soon realizes Russ’s problems go much deeper than needing a cat sitter.
As Hank tries to piece together and navigate the criminal network of NYC, most of which Russ seems to have ripped off, he soon realizes it’s more than angry mobsters he’s running from, but his own past. Bodies pile up as Hank encounters Ukrainian mobsters, a Puerto Rican club (Bad Bunny), a clever detective (Regina King), and Jewish hitmen (Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio), all set against the backdrop of the 1998 San Francisco Giants’ Wild Card run. Caught Stealing assembles an eclectic cast, allowing them to showcase their skills in the genre-bending crime narrative envisioned by Darren Aronofsky.
Austin Butler shines as Hank. As the driving force of the narrative, every choice Butler makes enhances the character’s charisma. Butler and Kravitz have chemistry for days, as Hank and Yvonne attempt to rescue helpless cats and survive the onslaught of people hunting Russ. Even Hank’s worst choices come across as endearing due to Butler’s sheer charm on screen. However, what Butler showcases most in Caught Stealing is pure range. Seeing Butler go from Tex in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to Elvis to Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part 2 to The Bikeriders to Caught Stealing is watching his star power grow with each performance. He keeps getting better and better. It’s already a career worth studying, and Caught Stealing is the latest excellent entry.
The rest of the ensemble effortlessly creates the world of Caught Stealing. Kravitz lends the film heart and humor, thanks to her own magnetism and character choices. Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio are both hilarious and brutal. Bad Bunny is always a welcome sight, whether it’s on SNL or Bullet Train. And Matt Smith further showcases the film’s incredible casting as the cheeky, danger-inviting punk, Russ. Caught Stealing‘s on the page is a fun crime thriller. It’s funny, sexy, violent, dark, emotional, and all elevated by not only Butler but the entire cast. Between the cast and Aronofsky, Caught Stealing dares to be cool and succeeds across the board.
Coolness takes Caught Stealing far. Aronofsky subverts expectations throughout the narrative, all while centering the movie well within the ’90s, in more than just its setting. Beyond a few 90s references, writer Charlie Huston and Aronofsky build the world around baseball, Hank’s past, and a pre-Y2K New York. Aronofsky brings his original flair to the script, reminding audiences of the emotional nuances of Black Swan and The Wrestler as he addresses Hank’s past. Still, Aronofsky boasts influences from across 90s cinema. There are some Paul Thomas Anderson vibes, a hint of True Romance, a little Snatch, and a few homages to Scorsese at play in Caught Stealing. However, no influence goes to waste, as Arnofosky highlights an era of films known for reminding Hollywood that it’s not always style over substance, but that sometimes style is the substance.
Caught Stealing has some moments where the tonal shifts are jarring. Some shifts work in the narrative’s favor, and others will alienate some viewers. There are a few scenes that do not move the plot forward but are essential character moments for the players involved. Plot purists may find these moments unnecessary, but all are vital to experience what Arnofosky is creating. The Idles soundtrack adds punk flair. Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz, and the entire cast are as good as ever. Arnofosky brings the full range of his directorial prowess, making a film equally alive in the days of Blockbuster Video as it is in the 2020s. Caught Stealing brings joy, thrills, genuine surprises, fantastic performances, and just enough heartbreak. But more than anything else, Caught Stealing is a reminder of how much fun it is going to the movies.
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