Caught Stealing ★★★

Released: 29th August 2025

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio

The rumour mill is abuzz with romance news surrounding Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz. Whether these stories have any substance is, as always with gossip, doubtable, but what isn’t up for dispute is the searing, sizzling chemistry that the stars share in Caught Stealing, Darren Aronofsky’s bizarre crime caper. The co-stars have an onscreen connection that is as charismatic and cool as humanly possible, and whilst the other parts of Aronofsky’s comedy don’t light up like their chemistry, the film is still an enjoyable romp through the criminal underworld of New York City.

It’s the late 1990s, and Hank Thompson (Butler) is working as a bartender at a late night venue in the Lower East Side. We first meet him as he finishes a shift at 4am, before we’re introduced to his girlfriend, Yvonne (Kravitz), and his British punk neighbour, Russ (Matt Smith, complete with mohawk). The opening of Caught Stealing is an eccentric mishmash of ideas and styles that is all over the place, but it’s engaging enough to grab your attention. 

After Russ leaves his cat with Hank whilst he visits his ailing father overseas, two Russian mobsters arrive at the Brit’s apartment, before promptly kicking the hell out of Hank which results in him losing a kidney. The first notable issues with Caught Stealing can be seen here with the arrival of the mobsters, namely the smaller of the two, Pavel (Nikita Kukushkin). This isn’t a slight on the actor, who gives an eccentric, physically awesome performance of utter insanity; Pavel’s character signals a severe issue with Caught Stealing’s script. Pavel has some of the most nonsensical and unfunny lines in a film this year, an issue which translates into much of the screenplay. For Caught Stealing’s self-positioning as a crime comedy, only one half of that sentiment rings true.

Hank subsequently has run-ins with the Hasidic brothers Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully (Vincent D’Onofrio) Drucker, a pair of notorious gangsters known for their cruel violence, as he learns that Russ was mixed up in severely shady business. There is also Regina King’s enjoyable performance as Detective Elise Roman. The characters form a world that is illogical—violent killing sprees and more are committed with a jolting brazenness and little consequence, at least to the wider society—but ultimately, it’s just a playground for Aronofsky to blast aggressive music and have fun. Admittedly, Caught Stealing can never be called boring. 

Butler shines in the central role, somehow bringing real heart to this oddball world. You find yourself caring deeply for the hapless Hank, even throughout the tonal madness of the film, especially after learning of his tragic backstory. Haunted by the memories of a drunken crash that killed his friend and ended his promising baseball career, Hank just can’t let go. Other characters are generally worthless and disregarded by Aronofsky. For ones like Russ, this matters little, but Yvonne’s interesting character and her relationship with Hank is frustratingly sidelined. Aronofsky also is surprisingly confused in his handling of Hank’s alcoholism, especially considering his astute addiction spotlighting in Requiem for a Dream (2000).

In a film this brazenly bizarre and uncaring, these shortcomings frustrate less than you might think. Caught Stealing is a fun, whacky ride, and it doesn’t really give a damn what you think.