Caught Stealing

For a filmmaker that started out his career with heavy, dramatically-taxing works such as Pi and Requiem For a Dream, Darren Aronofsky has become one of the 21st century’s most acclaimed and controversial auteurs. Making a living out of crafting films centered around emotional and physical anguish, Aronofsky and fun are typically not two words that go together. Yet, after his Oscar-winning, but dreadful film The Whale, the esteemed auteur finds his groove working in a more commercial outing. Adapting the Charlie Huston novel of the same name, Aronofsky has found his playful side with a crime caper that is both frenetic and highly engaging.

Courtesy Sony

Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) is a former baseball prodigy from the west coast living as a bartender in 1998 New York City. After a traumatic car accident that left him with a broken leg and his close childhood friend dead, Hank’s dreams of being drafted in the MLB were immediately crushed. Having relocated to the Big Apple, Hank is now a lowly bartender for Paul’s Bar, where he spends his time heavily relying on alcohol and his new girlfriend Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz), a capable and beautiful paramedic, to pass his days. Hank’s punk rock, mohawk-sporting neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to watch his cat while he goes out of town. Hank agrees, only to find himself over his head in NYC’s dangerous criminal underbelly inhabited by the Russian Mafia, crooked cops, violent drug dealers and other oddball criminals. After his first run-in with two Russian goons looking for money Russ had stolen from their boss, Hank meets the bloody end of their fists, losing a kidney in the process. Now, after being forced to stop drinking, the injured Hank is tasked with finding the stash of stolen money and must avoid the wrath of Lower Manhattan’s most dangerous criminals if he wants to stay alive.

Director Darren Aronofsky’s latest is a fun and largely enthralling crime caper in the vein of Scorsese’s After Hours. Rested on the prowess of rising leading star Austin Butler, Caught Stealing is far from the film one would expect from Aronofsky, but it’s a blast to watch the filmmaker let loose and craft a thoroughly entertaining and wacky thriller. What sets this film apart from similar works in recent years — that have largely been sent straight to the streaming bin — is its tactile sense of place. A lifelong New Yorker, Aronofsky’s attention to detail in the mise-en-scene and immersive set design places the audience directly into New York City circa 1998. Matthew Libatique’s exquisite photography harkens back to 70’s New York-set films such as Dog Day Afternoon and The French Connection. Both Aronofsky and Libatique utilize the spaces within city streets and alleyways to visualize a sense of claustrophobia amidst thrilling chase sequences and shootouts. Perhaps the finest shot of the film is a sweeping dash across a street corner following Butler sprinting at full speed while being chased by a van. For a filmmaker not necessarily known for action, Aronofsky crafts an impressive array of edge-of-your-seat set pieces. The Black Swan and The Wrestler director’s strong control over tone is one of the film’s greatest highlights as it seamlessly wavers between screwball comedy, pitch-black spurts of brutal violence, genuine romance and twisty suspense. His prioritization of practical stunt work and gritty action beats also makes for a more involving picture. Even as the script approaches generic crime caper trappings and obvious plot twists, Aronofsky and, in large part, Butler hold you firmly in their grasp.

Courtesy Sony

Aronofsky’s films all largely revolve around characters that threaten to crumble under the weight of their own potential. Hank is an unexpected, yet fitting companion in Aronofsky’s ouvre. The washed up baseball star tuned on-the-run bartender makes for a thoroughly compelling lead character to guide the audience through this entertaining, yet gritty world. Butler has seen his star vastly rising after his sensational breakthrough performance in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and the Oscar-nominee continues his streak of intriguing work. Both an incredibly physical and emotionally demanding role, Butler maintains a sustained sense of paranoid determination as he spends much of the film running and fighting for his life. While not utilized as richly as it could have been, the romance between Butler and Zoe Kravitz is instantly tangible. From their first flirtatious encounter, you can practically feel the fireworks beaming off of their chemistry. Butler’s dynamic with his adorable feline co-star is also an irresistible touch. Aronofsky assembles a splendid supporting bench of character actors, up-and-comers and Oscar-winners. International pop sensation Bad Bunny is a riot as Colorado, a wimpy, showboating Puerto Rican gangster. Regina King adds gravitas as a sarcastic, but tough detective. Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio find a firm balance between goofy and mancing as two Hasidic gangsters who are supposedly so vicious, even rival gangs are terrified of them. Matt Smith is a ball of comedic energy as the worst neighbor ever. After Hours star Griffin Dunne even has a supporting role as a character named Paul — but not the Paul from the Scorsese classic.

As much fun as Caught Stealing frequently is, with pacing that hardly ever slows down, its palpable frenetic energy strains whenever it deviates from its core focus. Flashbacks to Hank’s teen years, specifically the drunken car crash that killed his friend and ended his baseball dreams, are rendered with enough emotional density, but halts its narrative momentum and tends to clash with the film’s distinct tone. Despite Aronofsky’s warm homages, the “stacking dominoes” tension escalation of After Hours or even Bringing Out the Dead doesn’t quite materialize in the way he intends. And while the explosive third act revs the energy back up, you can feel the plotting going through the motions during the eventual exposition dumps and set-ups for said climax.

Courtesy Sony

Caught Stealing is director Darren Aronofsky’s most playful and traditional film to date, but one that consistently entertains through a deft balance of comedy, suspense and action. Austin Butler continues to impress as a leading man with a character that is as complex as he is compelling. This is an energetic, dark and witty crime caper that benefits greatly from assured direction at the hands of Aronofsky and a rich sense of place, set in the nostalgic era of pre-9/11 NYC. It likely won’t linger long after it’s over, but this is a great time while you’re watching it.

Caught Stealing is now playing in theaters.