“Caught Stealing”: A Low-Profiled Testament to Austin Butler’s Evolving Career

Austin Butler at the Cannes film festival 2025. Courtesy of Gabriel Hutchinson Photography via Wiki Media Commons

Advancing past his critical triumph of the psychological drama film, “The Whale,” director Darren Aronofsky has made his sudden return to the director’s chair in the form of a dark, comedic crime feature. Starring Austin Butler at the helm, “Caught Stealing” adapts the 2004 book of the exact name by author Charlie Hutson, who serves as the film’s independent screenwriter.  

Despite receiving positive reviews since its release on August 29, with a rating of 7.3 out of 10 on IMDb, the film has yet to receive significant attention in pop culture, nor has it accumulated its budget of $40 million, only making back around $15 million domestically, according to The Numbers. 

The plot of “Caught Stealing” surrounds Henry “Hank” Thompson, a former baseball player turned local bartender in New York City, tasked by his friend Ross to watch after his cat for some time. He suddenly finds himself caught in the crossfire of relentless, motley gangsters hunting him down in search of something bigger.  

In essence, Aronofsky steps away from his previous psychological drama/horror pieces and impersonates the old school Guy Ritchie crime films of the late 90s and early 2000s. 

Set in the late 90s era of NYC, the narrative progressively builds the ambience of a dejected and crime-ridden territory. This is credited to the superb cinematography by three-time Oscar nominee Matthew Libatique, helping raise excitement and illustrate tension. While sparse, the instances of exuberant action sequences provide entertainment and heighten the stakes. 

From the visuals and cinematography alone, “Caught Stealing” gives the essence that it was truly filmed in the late 90s, complementing Aronofsky’s ability to draw audiences into his style. 

Bolstering the visuals is a strong score composed by Rob Simenson and an exhilarating soundtrack by Idles. Each track amplifies the punk style of the criminal underground, while the score emphasizes the criminality within the setting. 

Having previously received praise for his recent roles, specifically his interpretation of Elvis Presley in “Elvis” and Feyd-Rautha in “Dune: Part Two,” Butler brings the same passion to every role. As Hank, Butler exhibits emotion and character along his journey from start to finish, practically serving as the face of the movie. 

Alongside Butler, Zoe Kravitz portrays Hank’s significant other, sharing strong chemistry with Butler despite an unfortunately limited role; the same can be applied to Matt Smith’s role as Ross, sharing a limited role but excelling in his screen time. 

Furthermore, the film’s varying antagonists are successfully established as a major threat to Hank and share individual traits in their respective scenes. As the main highlight amongst the rogue’s gallery, Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio playing two Hebrew brothers steal the scene with their synergy and malice, embodying the dichotomy between Hank’s innocuousness and the selfishness within every antagonist. 

“Caught Stealing” lands the plane with a fitting conclusion, culminating in a cohesive narrative. Despite the ending having lulls in its pacing, it regains its footing at the last shot and delivers a satisfying closure to Hank’s internal journey. 

The ending instances of being dragged out are indicative of the film’s slow pace. Before the story kicks into high gear with its main storyline, the first act primarily drags its feet in moments before it can settle into its central focus on Hank’s internal and external conflict. This does not become a prevalent issue at any other point in the run time, but a slight alteration to the opening pace could have made all the difference. 

In addition to its faulty pacing, the film struggles with finding an identity in relation to the subject matter and tone. As mentioned before, this film gives the impression of old-school Ritchie films, with those sharing a tone of dark comedy. Having this film focus on one of its genres would have ultimately benefited the film’s identity and allowed it to stand on its own. 

These stand as the only glaring negatives, just ever so slightly holding it back from maximizing its full potential.

“Caught Stealing” serves as the next installment in Aronofsky's filmography, stepping away from his traditional Avant-garde films and experimenting within the crime thriller genre. Butler serves as the harbinger of the film, bringing the exact charm and emotional power that he has demonstrated in previous roles.