‘Caught Stealing’ Review

By Rob Hinkal

Whereas Darren Aronofsky’s previous effort, The Whale, delved into themes including regret, forgiveness, and self-destruction, his newest outing, Caught Stealing, is a darkly hilarious, deeply twisted, and propulsive whirlwind of a thriller.

For me, Caught Stealing is less about the plot than it is about its sense of setting and tone. I am NOT a big-city person, and yet, watching this, I was swept up into the breakneck rhythm of the vicious yet inviting streets of 1990s New York City, which our main character, “Hank” (Austin Butler) zigzags his way through. It feels authentic in a way many films try to capture but rarely do. The city is as integral a character in the story as any of our other protagonists. As much as this is a story of crime and its effects on one unsuspecting bartender, it’s also a story about New York City, its people, and its culture at the turn of the century.

 Truthfully, I can’t really tell you what the entire plot of the film is, but even so, I can tell you that it’s hard not to have a great time here. While willing to go to some brutally dark and violent places, it also sees the light in its characters and hairbrained situations. It’s beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, has a reliably anarchic score from the celebrated rock band IDLES, and retains its propulsive energy for a great deal of its runtime, only faltering slightly towards the end of the second half (but even this can be partially forgiven thanks to some late twists and turns that will not be revealed here).

If I had to list my one major gripe with Stealing, it’s the ending. In the context of the overarching narrative, it makes sense, but to me, in a film that never holds its punches and isn’t afraid to show its teeth, it just felt a bit too heightened. It’s not a bad ending, just really not what I expected.  

This is the kind of movie that many people have been clamoring for. A confident, contained, and passionately realized story made for a mature audience. It’s a love letter to New York City, a wonderfully wild adventure, and just a damn good time at the movies. It’s not trying to be anything other than what it knows it is, and thankfully, it’s exactly what we need more of at today’s cineplex.  

3.5 out of 5 stars