Caught Stealing takes the philosophy of ‘two wrongs make a right,’ but that’s clearly not true since this was my second attempt to see this film, and it was clearly a terrible decision—no worse than this film, however.  

Darren Aaronofsky’s Caught Stealing is a decidedly underwhelming attempt to engage viewers in what he surely believes to be a meaningful story. Take away his all-star cast, and what’s left of this comedy-crime-drama is yet another poor attempt to bait the Academy into the glamour of award shows. 

A Tale of Tragedy, Suffering, and Misery (My Experience Watching Caught Stealing in Summary)

The movie stars Austin Butler (Dune Part 2 and The Bikeriders) as Henry “Hank” Thomas, a former High School Baseball prodigy living in a dingy apartment in New York in the late nineties. Despite his tragic backstory, Hank’s life is anything but miserable – he’s a charismatic bartender beloved by both customers and his boss, he has a beautiful paramedic girlfriend Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz – The Batman, Fantastic Beasts) and his Punk Londoner Neighbour Russ (Matt Smith – Dr Who, The Crown, House of the Dragon) trusts him with his dearest possession in the world – his cat.

It’s the temporary transfer of responsibility for his furry feline Bud that sparks a chain of events, starting with Hank being assaulted by members of the Russian Mob. Believed to be covering for Russ, who has deep ties within New York’s criminal underworld, Hank is drawn into a conspiracy involving cartel maniacs, Russian gangsters, Amish psychopaths, and a detective (played by the wonderful Regina King) who won’t leave well enough alone.

All Hank wants to do is live, drink, and talk about the San Francisco Giants with his mother— but every move he makes pulls him deeper into this underworld where his decisions are few and his allies are almost none. 

A Look Back Through Time

Caught Stealing has the feel of one of those films that is seeking praise for daring to tell a story meant to feel grounded and gritty, but comes off as more frustrating than fascinating. A mix of dark comedy and thriller, its urban setting in an earlier time gives Arronofsky’s world a fantastic backdrop to explore. New York in the nineties before the internet and influencers took over the streets? 

The visuals of this film are superb. Everything from Hank’s apartment to the bar he works at to the streets he walks down has this distinct look of an NYC straight from a 90s movie. Even the characters feel real and established. Though director Aaronofsky and writer Charlie Huston might have grounded characters, the choices they make do not feel natural at all. They feel forced. 

Forcing The Narrative

Whilst Caught Stealing has its moments, it is ‘moments’ that carry the film— not the plot. Make no mistake, in terms of leading roles this will go down as one of Austin Butler’s worst.

Early in the film, we learn that Hank, as a teenager, unintentionally caused the death of one of his high school teammates. Much of Hank’s problems—his drinking, nightmares, and emotional distance from his mother—all originate from this one event. It seems like this story is meant to be a tale of redemption. That what was truly stolen was the years Hank lived while his friend had passed away, and living a carefree lifestyle was how he wasted his unearned continued life.

But there is no real redemption, there is no real growth. But character never learns until he is forced into a situation where he must become a different person. It doesn’t feel earned in any way that feels real, it feels as though the changes he makes to become “better“ because the nihilistic truth of a meaningless existence has been forced on him. Nothing will make him happy as nothing will make me happy that I went to see this film. Many others and I were duped into believing this was something it was not, and that is meaningful.

Good stories don’t feel like they’re being forced, and never does it feel as though Hank’s decisions are leading him towards a destination of his own making. Everything he does, every choice and every single loss, doesn’t add to a cumulative arc but forces him down a path he’d otherwise unwillingly tread.

A False Campaign

Indeed, it doesn’t help that Caught Stealing deliberately misleads its audience by framing itself as a comedy when, in reality, it’s a tragedy—a tragedy of cinema.  The idea of this movie is solid and fun—you have your drug-dealing punk neighbour who leaves, and somehow you get caught in the middle of a gang war over four million dollars in drugs. It’s the setup for an over-the-top, mischievous comedy full of wild antics. 

Everything in the advertisement for this film suggests you’ll be entering a world of laughs, a zany crime comedy; from Matt Smith’s hair to Butler dancing on a local bar’s table (after warning other patrons not to do so) to the soundtrack of ‘Do I Stay or Do I Go’ by The Clash. It never felt like the film fully embraced its comedic elements; instead, the director used them to highlight this sad story of a man who keeps getting beaten down. By making a mistake, Hank does not come across as a hero.

In fact, he’s the furthest thing from a hero in this film—just a screw-up alcoholic thrown into a world of crime. He knows about it and lives near it but doesn’t want to get involved. Life pushes him into this world; he soon feels completely out of place, and it’s not the only thing about this film that feels off.

Too Many Potholes

Hank is supposedly a former high school baseball pro whose leg injury knocked him out of the game, yet we consistently see him running full sprint like an Olympian athlete. The Winter Soldier would struggle to catch up with this man!

Furthermore, Russ’s disappearance, which then triggers a series of events that embroil Hank in the world of bloodthirsty and ironic killers, felt all too rushed. Russ is gone in less than a few days, and their immediate reaction from his circle of criminals is to go out and start beating up his neighbour.

But I’m about to spoil something: the film’s climactic scene, while offering an impressive twist that I didn’t expect, feels unnecessary. I constantly found myself asking, “What is this ad? What does it add? How does it serve the story naturally?”

Everything about this film feels unnatural, but I actually believe the intense reactions that occur whenever an animal is harmed by the criminals. I don’t know what Aronofsky was thinking when he made this film, but it wasn’t ’hey, let’s get a great cast and make a good film.’ It was, ‘let’s make a film with a great cast that makes very little sense and stretches the word logic to its most tentative definition.’ 

Conclusion

Caught Stealing is action-packed and features a solid cast. Unfortunately, the story it’s selling isn’t appealing to me. Save yourself some time and don’t waste your precious minutes watching this movie. 

5 out of 10.