Caught Stealing, based on the book by Charlie Huston, who also wrote the screenplay, isn’t the crime thriller you might expect from director Darren Aronofsky. It’s got the filmmaker’s signature characteristics — including a character on a downward spiral — but it’s somehow funnier than some of his past films. That isn’t to say it doesn’t lean into the darkness; it can get very dark, especially when the film ᴀsserts the high stakes for Hank (Austin Butler), a bartender who was very close to playing Major League Baseball.
The film is straightforward enough, yet it’s operating on multiple levels that mostly come together by the end. Hank is a character who seems down on his luck at first, a guy who could’ve had it all if not for an injury sustained in a horrible car accident. He’s got a drinking problem and is living half a life.
The only good thing he’s got going for him is a relationship with Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), a paramedic. Hank is always in a dark place, but things go from bad to much, much worse when Russ (Matt Smith), his neighbor, accidentally leaves Hank in the midst of a criminal underworld he isn’t prepared to handle.
Caught Stealing Strikes A Tonal Balance With Its Dark Comedy
Most films can’t find the line to walk between a story’s darkness and its humor. Aronofsky manages to straddle both with ease. Huston’s script is filled with intensity and tension, sneaking in moments of light amidst the chaos and confusion of Hank’s changed circumstances, which involve a myriad of standout bad guys and Regina King’s semi-impatient Detective Roman.
Something that doesn’t instantly come off as funny suddenly is in Caught Stealing. And yet it doesn’t lean so far in that it undermines the seriousness of the film. Even more impressive is the fact that the film’s narrative remains intact and focused, maintaining a pace that only ever starts to feel a bit tired near the end. But then the film changes gears, hitting hard with a revelation that lands at just the right time and escalates Hank’s already perilous situation.
Aronofsky is adept at keeping the momentum and engaging us by giving the story genuine stakes. The plot gets a touch convoluted when Russ is brought back into the plot, but it’s straightforward enough that the exact details don’t matter as much as the big picture, which is crystal clear.
If anything, the film wobbles slightly when trying to explore Hank’s tumultuous feelings regarding the way his past has shaped his present. He’s clearly torn about the way his life turned out, but the film doesn’t spend too much time on it, especially as things ramp up. A third act reveal pulls things together, though, and rights the ship.
The film shows (and tells) us how salt-of-the-earth Hank is, at least compared to those out to get him, but we’re also encouraged to question how true that is at various points. Even Hank isn’t convinced of it, but Caught Stealing doesn’t push it, allowing the character arc to simmer instead.
Caught Stealing Is Austin Butler’s Show
But The Supporting Cast Is Incredibly Strong
Austin Butler may be the film’s lead, but Aronofsky’s latest can so often feel like an ensemble piece. Every character has a purpose, no matter how small an interaction. The film introduces multiple players at the start before pushing a few to the side for later. It’s perfectly placed, giving Hank’s journey a heightened sense of fear that never abates. If he’s threatened — by Shmully (Vincent D’Onofrio), Lipa (Liev Schreiber), or Colorado (Benito A Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny), to name a few — we know the antagonists mean business.
But it’s Butler’s showcase, of course, and he delivers. The actor slips into a character who is many things at once: haunted by his past, fearful for his life, a struggling alcoholic, a caring boyfriend, a loving son. Hank is also a man who, while not a killer, has his limits tested throughout the film. It culminates in a strategic, full-circle moment that is earned. Butler conveys so much with nuance, imbuing emotion while simultaneously holding himself back.
Caught Stealing takes its story seriously, but it isn’t afraid to have some fun in the process.
The rest of the cast — from Zoë Kravitz’s Yvonne, who maintains boundaries with Hank when he oversteps them but can’t stay away for too long, to the scene-stealing Regina King and George Abud as Duane, Hank’s complaining neighbor — is excellent. They lean into the film’s dark comedy naturally and, as the characters move around Hank, the events, bleak as they are, are also softened. Caught Stealing takes its story seriously, but it isn’t afraid to have some fun in the process.
To combine a sturdy narrative with dark humor, and without losing much pace, is a feat unto itself, and one Aronofsky’s film manages quite craftily. It transitions from one scene to the next with ᴀssuredness, aided by Andrew Weisblum’s swift editing and Matthew Libatique’s gritty yet grounded cinematography. The film is set in 1998, and it’s thankfully not trying to shove nostalgia for the era down our throats. Here, it feels like a natural extension of the film’s setting.
Caught Stealing is a refreshing addition to Aronofsky’s filmography. It’s deliberately funny and macabre, but it asks us to take it seriously. That’s mostly due to there actually being stakes for Hank. Those chasing him to obtain their money aren’t friendly and prove, more than once, that they mean business. It makes for some chaotic fun, which Aronofsky reins in a bit at times. It ups the ante — not just for Hank but for the audience’s investment, and you’ll want to see this one through to the end.
