CAUGHT STEALING
Starring: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Benito Martínez Ocasio, Griffin Dunne, and Carol Kane
Director: Darren Aronofsky
ADRIANO
I don't know what happened to Darren Aronofsky, but this is not the guy who directed Requiem for a Dream. With Caught Stealing, Aronofsky ditches his typical dourness for a wild crime comedy akin to After Hours. I wish the story wasn't as messy as it is and that it didn't try to juggle so much, but the camera and sound work give this a unique kind of energy. Meanwhile, Austin Butler shows a new and interesting side to his leading-man abilities. Caught Stealing kept me on my toes for the most part, and that's the mark of any good thriller.
AMARÚ
Caught Stealing is a quick and dirty chaos cluster. It's quick with energetic pacing, not in its slightly overwrought runtime, but in the tenor and editing that paints the film as director Darren Aronofsky’s version of a Guy Ritchie crime caper. While Ritchie’s romps are fun and rewatchable, Aronofsky’s dark overtones rapidly turn the string of unfortunate events that intertwine the multitude of players surrounding Austin Butler’s Hank into a hard look into the mistakes people try to outrun. So, while the largely talented ensemble is great to watch, the story’s harsh realities make its 107 minutes play like a harrowing, yet entertaining, one-time 2+ hour watch.
PAIGE
Caught Stealing certainly feels like a throwback to 90s crime thrillers, in that it's occasionally gripping and fun but oddly lacking in stakes. This movie is director Darren Aronofsky’s most accessible and conventional to date, but it’s weightless and uneven, at its best when it drops both the audience and Austin Butler’s (who is great in this, delivering my favorite performance of his yet) character into a tangled web of screwball characters. Overall, Aronofsky’s film delivers when it comes to the entertainment factor, but falls short of having a compelling script.
ROBERT
The main focus on Caught Stealing is how unlike a typical Darren Aronofsky movie it is; however, while the packaging is different, the heart of it still resembles the core experience: chaos, turmoil, and a sense that everyone’s lives have reached their lowest point. Plus, setting it as a late 1990s caper creates a rich environment of nostalgia without it feeling out-of-time. I have never been an Austin Butler fan, but this film showcases a vulnerability and every man quality that I wasn’t aware was in his arsenal. The cast, while underutilized on occasion, shaded a very colorful world worth exploring.
QUENTIN
Caught Stealing, easily director Darren Aronofsky’s most fun film, is a shaggy dog crime thriller that falls in line with True Romance, Inherent Vice, and (to a lesser extent) The Big Lebowski. Austin Butler and the sprawling supporting cast do excellent work, and their performances are only enhanced by Aronofsky’s proven eye and high-energy editing. Admittedly, the broad brushes of the story are predictable, but there are smaller, almost superficial twists that are unexpected, which helps to keep viewers on their toes amidst the bloody violence, exciting action, and effective drama. Overall, this is just a damn good time, rooted in rowdy griminess and punk-rock swagger.
BODE
It seemed shocking that the Guy Ritchie-esque crime caper Caught Stealing would come from Darren Aronofsky, a very different kind of filmmaker. However, looks can be deceiving, and what should be as fun as one of Ritchie’s romps is anything but. Unfortunately, it's never convincingly fun, and the energy is almost non-existent. And since Aronofsky can’t fully escape his dour tendencies, its heavier moments only create tonal whiplash. Austin Butler carries the material as best he can, and the score from composers Rob Simonsen and Idles is a highlight, but otherwise, this is a poor man’s After Hours.
KATIE
Caught Stealing is an unexpectedly fun crime-thriller that doesn’t pull its punches.
It’s exciting, darkly comedic, and full of dynamic camerawork, with a grungy 90s setting that adds a nostalgic vibe. It has a fantastic cast, especially a magnetic central performance from Austin Butler, whose star power shines. However, although it's fast-paced and entertaining, the plot is initially too busy, and later skims over some events a little too quickly without addressing them. I also found some of the violence a little too gratuitous. But, overall, Caught Stealing is easy-to-enjoy entertainment.
