CAUGHT STEALING (2025)

Genre: Action/Crime
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Griffin Dunne, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, Carol Kane
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language And Violence)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 23 October 2025

Synopsis: Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) was a high-school baseball phenom who can’t play anymore, but everything else is going okay. He’s got a great girl (Zoë Kravitz), tends bar at a New York dive, and his favorite team is making an underdog run at the pennant. When his punk-rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, Hank suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters. They all want a piece of him; the problem is he has no idea why. As Hank attempts to evade their ever-tightening grip, he’s got to use all his hustle to stay alive long enough to find out… Caught Stealing is directed by Academy Award® nominee Darren Aronofsky, screenplay by Charlie Huston, based on his book of the same name.

Movie Review:

If there’s one thing about Darren Aronofsky, it’s that he never repeats himself. From a harrowing drug addiction drama to a washed-up wrestler, a biblical epic and an obese English teacher, Aronofsky consistently surprises audiences. Now, he’s back with Caught Stealing, an ultra-violent crime thriller starring the increasingly magnetic Austin Butler.

Based on Charlie Huston’s cult pulp novel not exactly a household name but Huston himself penned the screenplay. Caught Stealing introduces us to Hank Thompson (Butler), a former baseball player turned bartender. There’s a chilling reason behind his fall from grace and the film repeatedly reminds us why his past continues to haunt him. Hank numbs his days with alcohol, shares tender daily phone calls with his mother and maintains a loving but casual relationship with Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), a paramedic.

Things unravel when Hank’s punk-styled neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) leaves for England to tend to his ailing father, asking Hank to care for his cat, Bud. But Bud isn’t the only baggage Russ leaves behind. Soon, two menacing Russian thugs and a Puerto Rican gunman (Bad Bunny) come knocking, searching for Russ. Hank’s life starts to spiral into chaos. Add a tough cop named Roman (Regina King) and two ruthless, bearded Jewish assassins played by Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio and Hank finds himself in serious trouble.

There’s a lingering expectation that Hank might evolve into a hardened antihero who dishes out vengeance. But Caught Stealing isn’t that kind of crime thriller. From the moment he gets his bruised kidney removed, Hank endures every blow imaginable. Perhaps it’s a subtle message: Hank must confront his past instead of drowning in booze and ignoring his lost potential in baseball.

Aronofsky and Huston keep the pace relentless, leaving little room to breathe amid the constant chases. Double-crosses and sudden deaths abound, true to the genre’s mobster roots. Russ provides a touch of comic relief and his cat Bud might just deserve a pet Oscar. But in Hank’s world, humor is scarce.

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique collaborating with Aronofsky for the tenth time clearly relishes shooting on location. Though set in 1990s New York, the film convincingly blends backlot grit with authentic cityscape, creating a vivid, believable atmosphere. Even if Caught Stealing doesn’t capture a wide audience, it stands as one of Aronofsky’s most accessible works. It’s a relentless crime caper that prioritizes character study over spectacle. That said, there’s a standout car chase through Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, home to the iconic Unisphere.

If you’re drawn to manic violence, outrageous characters, and the ever-charming Austin Butler fighting to survive the chaos, Caught Stealing is worth your time.

Movie Rating:

(It may have the vibe of a B-movie, but with Aronofsky’s steady hand, it becomes a wild, stylish ride)

Review by Linus Tee