Caught Stealing (2025)

Acclaimed Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, The Whale, The Wrestler) returns to the big screen with what MIGHT be his most audience-friendly caper yet....this is the story of a burned-out ex-baseball player named Hank (Oscar-nominee Austin Butler) who unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival of late '90's New York City.  Upon doing his neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) a favorite while he goes out of town, Hank soon has various unsavory characters who come calling....and the only people who can apparently help him are his long-suffering girlfriend/medic Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz) and NYPD Detective Roman (Oscar-Winner Regina King) who's on the case.  Also along for the ride during this increasingly violent crime comedy/drama are Griffin Dunne, Bad Bunny, Action Bronson, Carol Kane, Liev Schreiber, and Vincent D'Onofrio. 

Host: Geoff Gershon
Edited By Ella Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

Transcript

CAUGHT STEALING - 2025

Directed by Darren Aronovsky

Starring Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Bad Bunny, George Abud, Will Brill, and Griffin Dunne

Genre: Quicky NYC Crime Drama (Audio clip)

Just a few minutes into this raucous, violent crime drama, I was digging the loose, '90's lower Manhattan vibe and actually started thinking: 

"Wow did Darren Aronofsky actually direct a FUN movie??"

I have always loved movies like that...quirky, mostly Manhattan-set comedy-dramas focusing on lost souls usually played by movie stars dressing down a bit...containing extended scenes in bars and/or diners (where our major character usually works), featuring impressive casts of supporting players often wearing vintage clothing, pretty much always set and/or filmed in the ''80's or '90's...
 low budget indie vibes...virtually plotless....ALWAYS clocking in at less than two hours. ;) They have to be filmed on location usually in lower Manhattan and can often be funny while still going unexpectedly dark at points. The best examples are likely After Hours, Something Wild, Party Girl, Married To The Mob, Desperately Seeking Susan, and The Pope Of Greenwich Village. 

I'm a sucker for these kinds of movies and was tickled by the idea that the one of our ultimate feel-bad auteurs (Requiem For A Dream, The Wrestler, Mother!) was actually going that route. 😀 And then about 45 minutes in, something happens to a particular character and suddenly I was reminded that oh right....this IS a Darren Aronofsky film! 

Shit does get DARK though to be fair, some of the previous films mentioned like Something Wild and 'Greenwich Village DO get quite dark as well....homicidal even at points.🙄 And this shaggy dog story about Hank (Austin Butler), a struggling ex-baseball player/borderline alcoholic tending bar on the lower East Side happens to exist in a pretty violent world. Hank is still baseball-obsessed (he's a die-hard Giants fan, even surrounded by Met's fans amidst a pennant race), is dating an earthy paramedic named Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz in a very winning performance), and lives next door to Russ who is a low-level drug trafficker from the UK sporting a mohawk played by Matt Smith. The inciting incident is quite simple: Russ has to head back overseas for an emergency and has asked Hank (and by default Yvonne) to watch his cat while he's gone. Seems simple enough...

However almost the next night, some violent thugs come by looking for Russ - they're looking ONE thing in particular and when Hank has no answers, they rough him up QUITE a bit. 😮 To the point where he wakes up in a hospital bed a couple of days later in pretty bad shape....and it's soon clear that these and OTHER thugs will keep calling as it becomes obvious that they are seeking something quite valuable from his friend Russ....and whatever that is, it's likely related to the cat. 🤔

And from there, things just get crazier and increasingly violent....but the overall movie remains an entertaining, engaging ride thanks to high-energy direction from Aronofsky, fun needle-drops, and a very game (and stacked) cast. It's almost akin to early Guy Ritchie (Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch), just less silly and....more New York? It definitely FEELS mostly like a film filmed in the '90's which helps as the story take place in 1998. What ALSO helps is that this was shot by Aronofsky-stalwart DP Matthew Libatique (Black Swan, A Star Is Born) doing exemplary work for the SECOND time this month with an autuer's vision of NYC - he also lensed Spike Lee's excellent Highest 2 Lowest. 

Most importantly, Austin Butler commands the screen with yet another strong movie star performance. Undoubtedly Elvis and Dune Part 2 were the showier roles but after this and The Bikeriders, he has definitely proven himself in the sort of troubled-but-charismatic young man roles which previous stars like River Phoenix and DiCaprio excelled at. His Hank is an ambling loser WAY in over his head who only starts to find his footing once he accepts the violent stakes of being perpetually drunk. He's evading various types throughout the film though does get some help through the very understanding Yvonne AND NYPD Detective Roman (Regina King sharply calling back some of her best work in Watchmen and Southland) who comes calling as the bloodshed ramps up.

Also filling out the eclectic supporting cast are quick memorable turns from the likes of Bad Bunny, Carol Kane, Liev Schreiber, and even quirky NYC-movie veteran Griffin Dunne who steals every one of his scenes as Paul, Hank's coked-up bar-owning boss. 🙂 

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

This film’s soundtrack is pretty great featuring a pseudo-score of SORTA-original tracks from modern British punk band IDLES – I say sorta because my favorite track happens to be their own cover of the reggae classic “Police & Thieves” ORIGINALLY from Junior Murvin and most famously originally covered by one of my personal favorites, The Clash.  We hear this over a chase which comprises the upcoming trailer moment, pretty fun raucous stuff! (Audio clip) 

Though KEEPING with the reggae vibe, my personal favorite needle-drop occurs in the scene immediately FOLLOWING said chase…..not to give too much away as we have an increasingly battered AND bruised escaping the villains on an elevated MTA train out of Shea Stadium sitting next to fellow escapee Russ who is in even WORSE shape.  The mournful yet catchy song we hear comes from Kingston, Jamaica’s own dancehall reggae legend Mark Anthony Myrie….otherwise officially known as Buju Banton.  The song is fitting as it plays over Hank’s likely most meditative moment in the movie as he’s remembering some folks he lost and clearly taking stock….it was apparently also a VERY personal song for Buju himself, mourning lost friends.  It’s from his ’95 album “Til Shiloh,” the track is “Murderer.” (Audio clip)    

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film):

Having never been a Doctor Who fan, I guess I never quite appreciated the distinct screen presence of Matt Smith….not until recently thanks to his stellar turn as Daemon Targarean on HBO Max’ “House of the Dragon.”  He’s fantastic on that show, DEFINITELY one of the best performances….so I WAS pretty jazzed to see him go full-on punk in this movie as he was prominently featured in the trailers. (Audio clip) 

Alas if you’re hoping to check this out to get your latest Matt Smith fix….manage your expectations because he’s BARELY in this movie sorry.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s fun to watch and if I’m being fair, his character’s absence off-screen is a major driver of the overall plot so it makes sense….but yeah, he has maybe two or three scenes.  Disappointing though I can at least say that my personal disappointment was mostly mitigated by the surprising prevalence of Regina King in the movie – she was HARDLY featured in the trailer but she’s pretty much the SECOND lead here and I was all for it because she’s great!  Her character is even given a stand-out moment with a black-and-white cookie….(Audio clip) 

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

Aronofsky gets to flex his action chops here a bit with some nifty chase sequences and undoubtedly my favorite occurs during the third act around a New York City landmark which I know well but I have NEVER seen featured in an action sequence before…..I’m referring to the massive Unisphere sculpture featured at The World’s Fair park in Flushing, Queens.  I MIGHT have visited it as a child but I honestly can’t remember but I have passed this thing a million times going on the highway there….often to and from LaGuardia OR the old Shea Stadium where the Met’s used to play.  It’s an iconic spot and late in the movie, Hank FINALLY takes charge of this situation by arranging for a meet there involving missing money AND that cat.  And what results is a lively car chase as two cars literally circle AROUND the sculpture at one point…..and we even get a cameo towards the end of the OLD Shea Stadium which I’m guessing was recreated via CGI….pretty convincingly too.  Fun sequence! (Audio clip) 

MVP (person most responsible for the success of this film):

At the end of the day – even with an admittedly more playful vibe than his previous films – this is still a Darren vehicle through and through.  There’s his usual focus on a troubled male protagonist who has experienced loss, a ground-level approach to the story which feels almost voyeuristic at points, unflinching violence, and a KEEN appreciation for his hometown of New York City…..not featured in ALL of his films but I THINK at least half of them including Pi, ‘Requiem, Black Swan, and now this.  He accomplishes here what the BEST filmmakers often achieve: transporting you to a specific time AND place.  Darren Aronofsky is the MVP. (Audio clip)     

Final Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5 

I have to admit that this was a bit of a pleasant surprise – the last two Aronofsky films which I saw were Noah and Mother!, both left me kind of cold.  But for this, the whole anything-can-happen vibe never lets up, most of the humor lands, and it all moves at a very brisk pace. Even with some tough stuff along the way, this MIGHT be Darren Aronofsky's most purely entertaining ride!

Now Playing in Theaters

And that ends another AFTER HOURS review!