Caught Stealing review: Austin Butler cements star status with fun crime caper
Darren Aronofsky is best known for making dark and disturbing films like Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream and The Whale. His latest film, Caught Stealing, marks a complete change of pace for the director, who brings us his most fun and goofy movie yet.
Set in ’90s New York City, the crime comedy thriller stars Austin Butler as Hank Thompson, a former baseball player-turned-barman. When his neighbour Russell (Matt Smith) asks him to look after his cat while he’s away, Hank unexpectedly finds himself in the crosshairs of two Russians, two Jews and a Puerto Rican who all think he’s working with Russell and hiding their money.
Aronofsky, embracing his fun side for once, delivers an entertaining and somewhat silly crime caper filled with chases, shootouts and acts of brutal violence. Hank really goes through it and just can’t catch a break with these criminals on his tail, convinced he has information when he doesn’t. It isn’t a laugh-a-minute comedy, but it’s a lightweight, breezy ride with a dark sense of humour. I laughed a bunch, even when nobody around me did, so I guess I found this funnier than most people.
You don’t get many mid-budget crime movies anymore, so this feels like a throwback to the ’90s movies while also being set in that decade. I loved the gritty and grungy setting of ’90s New York City and appreciated Aronofsky’s attention to detail in bringing the period back to life authentically. The soundtrack, provided by British post-punk band Idles, complements the visuals very well.
I must admit that I didn’t truly care about the twists and turns of the plot, but I wanted Hank to find peace and be left alone so he could finally sort his life out. Butler usually takes on roles that require a major transformation – a distinct accent or a new look – but he can’t hide behind these bells and whistles here. By taking them away, Butler truly gets the opportunity to prove what a charming and attractive leading man he is. If his movie star credentials weren’t already established, they should be after Caught Stealing.
He is supported by the radiant Zoe Kravitz, with whom he has palpable chemistry, plus an excellent cat, and the hilarious Smith, whose Cockney accent and OTT performance cracked me up. I also thought Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio added great value as Jewish criminal masterminds Lipa and Schmully. On the flipside, I wasn’t convinced by Regina King as a police detective or Bad Bunny (credited by his real name Benito Martínez Ocasio) as a Puerto Rican nightclub owner.
I didn’t know what to expect from Caught Stealing and I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it was.
In cinemas from Friday 29th August