At the end of this summer, it seems like Austin Butler is going to add another amazing movie to his filmography. Over the last few years, Butler has emerged as one of the most popular leading men in Hollywood. Austin Butler’s best movies include Elvis, The Bikeriders, and Dune: Part Two.
Looking at his filmography, I have to applaud Butler for the roles he chooses. He is an actor who is not afraid to take major risks with strange and unhinged characters, which is perfectly displayed by Dune: Part Two and Ari Aster’s upcoming movie Eddington. However, in addition to working with Aster, Butler also recently collaborated with Darren Aronofsky.
Darren Aronofsky’s best movies include Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, and Black Swan. Actors who star in Aronofsky’s movies usually receive immense acclaim, so the upcoming crime thriller Caught Stealing could be great for Butler’s career. Additionally, I’m so happy Caught Stealing will continue a great trend for Butler after last year’s The Bikeriders.
Austin Butler Will Star In Caught Stealing, Darren Aronofsky’s Crime Thriller
Caught Stealing Could Be One Of The Best Movies Of 2025
With Eddington and Caught Stealing, it seems like Butler is going to have a very successful summer. However, while he only plays a minor character in Aster’s film, Butler plays the lead in Caught Stealing, which is based on Charlie Huston’s 2004 novel of the same name.
In addition to Butler, the cast of the crime thriller includes Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Regina King, and Liev Schreiber. As is teased in the trailer for the film, Butler’s Hank Thompson will mistakenly get involved in the criminal underworld of New York City. Throughout the movie, Hank will be surrounded by a lot of electic characters, a lot of whom want to hurt him.
The trailer for Caught Stealing sets up the fun, lighthearted tone of the film and successfully avoids giving away too many details about its story. Based on the trailer, this will be yet another great role for Butler, and could potentially lead to him getting some award recognition, as well. After all, Natalie Portman and Brendan Fraser both won Oscars after working with Aronofsky.
Austin Butler Is Fresh Off Another Great Crime Thriller, The Bikeriders
The Bikeriders Is An Underrated Movie From 2024
Even if Caught Stealing doesn’t lead to Butler getting nominated for any major awards, it’s great that it will continue the trend of him starring in crime thrillers. Last year, Butler played one of the lead roles in The Bikeriders, which was written and directed by Jeff Nichols and followed a motorcycle club over several years.
The fictional club in The Bikeriders was inspired by the real-life Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Through the film, viewers get to see how a group of men bonding over their shared love of motorcycles can slowly turn into a sinister gang. However, things get complicated when Butler’s character, Benny, wants out of the gang.
Reviews for The Bikeriders were quite positive, and a lot of critics praised Butler’s subdued performance in the film. Nichols’ crime thriller has an 80% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes (via Rotten Tomatoes), which proves that people want to see Butler appear in more crime thrillers. Thankfully, Caught Stealing will be another throwback thriller that will follow many fascinating characters.
Why Austin Butler Works So Well In Crime Thrillers
Butler Is A Great Leading Man
The crime thriller genre is perfect for Butler since he can play such a wide array of characters. In several movies, Butler has shown a darker side of himself and has proven that he can scare audiences. However, surprisingly, in The Bikeriders and Caught Stealing, Butler plays very sympathetic characters.
Even though he can easily pᴀss as a rough around the edges criminal, Butler can also effectively portray an innocence that allows audiences to root for him.
Butler’s somewhat rugged and edgy look allows him to immediately fit into any crime thriller. However, even though he can easily pᴀss as a rough around the edges criminal, Butler can also effectively portray an innocence that allows audiences to root for him. Since he is reluctantly brought into the world of crime in Caught Stealing, this innocence will definitely be on display in the movie.
Overall, while Butler is great in all the movies he appears in, it’s become clear that he specifically thrives in crime thrillers. Therefore, after last year’s The Bikeriders and the upcoming Caught Stealing, I hope that Austin Butler continues to pursue these kinds of films, as he definitely adds a lot to the genre.
