A new first-look image offers a closer glimpse at the intensity of Caught Stealing. The upcoming crime thriller, which was directed by Academy Award nominee Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Whale), is an adaptation of the 2004 Charlie Huston novel of the same name. It follows former baseball player Henry “Hank” Thompson (Austin Butler) becoming embroiled in the world of New York City crime in the 1990s. The huge ensemble cast of the movie also includes Zoë Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, Regina King, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Carol Kane, Griffin Dunne, Bad Bunny, and Doctor Who star Matt Smith.

ScreenRant can now share an exclusive first-look image from Caught Stealing ahead of the movie’s official theatrical premiere on August 29. The image shows Hank following Matt Smith’s character Russ – who is decked out in a huge mohawk, plaid pants covered in chains, and a baggy jacket – down the hall of what appears to be a storage locker facility. Check out the full-size image below:

What This Means For Caught Stealing

Darren Aronofsky’s Filmmaking Is Working On All Cylinders

Darren Aronofksy movies are known for putting the audience directly into the heads of the main characters, particularly in тιтles like 2010’s Black Swan, which is a psychological thriller about a woman whose perceptions are generally unreliable. This new first-look image seems to reveal that this filmmaking approach will continue in Caught Stealing. In addition to being a striking image in and of itself, this single sH๏τ alone is a powerful visual representation of Hank’s situation in the movie.

The long hallway stretching out in front of Hank and Russ, in addition to the positioning of the two characters that shows Hank clearly leading the charge, seems to represent the dark path that Hank is being dragged down. The intense colors of the metal doors that line the hallway and the fact that the sH๏τ is at a slightly canted angle, making the whole image off-kilter, almost make it feel like a vision of hell, emphasizing the intensity of the movie.

Our Take On The New Caught Stealing Image

It Could Propel Austin Butler To Another Oscar Nomination

This first-look image from Caught Stealing promises a propulsive cinematic experience that could equal some of Aronofsky’s previous thrillers and intense dramas, including his Oscar-nominated 2000 тιтle Requiem for a Dream. Given Aronofsky movies’ propensity for collecting Oscar nominations and wins, the Austin Butler movie could ultimately earn the star his second Oscar nomination after 2022’s Elvis, which was so far his first and only nomination. In fact, that year he lost the Oscar to Brendan Fraser in Aronofsky’s The Whale, proving that Butler teaming with the director could propel him to further awards success.