Caught Stealing

Caught Stealing is definitely a departure for Darren Aronofsky but in the least exciting ways. It's full of familiar tropes and story beats we've seen before but Aronofsky just doesn't do much of anything to differentiate it or raise the script above feeling so generic. It's entertaining here and there but overall there wasn't much of a personality on display.

Because I kept waiting for the film to come into its own and give me a hint as to why Aronofsky was drawn to this story and it honestly just never came. Every new character feels increasingly more one-noted and the whole plot that the Austin Butler character gets dragged into is disappointingly straight forward. Austin Butler is great and I liked the fact that the movie never lost sight of this being a truly normal character totally out of his depth and they never took a convoluted jump with his skill set which I appreciated. He has a self destructive nature that I never really felt came to ahead and where they leave him off didn't really feel that set up to be a satisfying conclusion Honestly it felt like it was trying to set up a sequel that I doubt is ever going to happen.

It's a really stacked cast over all but the colourful characters the trailers teased never really come about on screen and ended up feeling like a massive waste of some amazing talent. Zoe Kravitz has great chemistry with Butler but her character just fizzles out of the narrative after a while and she just ends up feeling like the standard girlfriend archetype. Matt Smith doesn't get much to do after an intriguing set up and Regina King is let down by the writing of a character who feels like she belongs in a different movie. Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio end up feeling like the only ones who get real characters to play and the script actually capitalises on their potential. The energy of the whole film just shoots up every time they're on screen and a development surrounding those two characters raised the third act up quite a bit higher for me.

While not perfect the first half is where the movie most captivated me. It really does effectively put you in this period and it's where the chemistry between Butler and Kravitz is on full display and the film is all the better for it. It's got a lot of that signature Aronofsky griminess and the violence is a lot more effective than I expected it to be. But as soon as it's revealed what all these characters are fighting over it just never truly regained my interest. The pacing slows down as the few characters I like have their appearances cut down and there's very few surprises. It's well directed but the visuals are surprisingly flat and the pacing just lagged on more and more as the runtime went on.

Caught Stealing isn't a bad movie but it's middling in the most disappointing ways and sometimes that's so much worse. I kept waiting for the movie to do anything to set its self apart and not only did it never come but the more it went on the more surprised I was to see this many people of this calibre attached to something so without its own identity. I don't mind familiar beats but this film doesn't do anything interesting with them and nothing about the craft on display improves the final product. A departure for Aronofsky without a doubt but not a satisfying one.

Caught Stealing is a wild, almost slapstick crime thriller that feels like a Coen Brothers movie set in the gritty, pre-gentrification New York of the late '90s. I loved how the film captured the city's vibe, from the seedy bars to the run-down apartments.

Austin Butler does a great job grounding the chaos with his "wrong place, wrong time" character. But honestly, the standout for me was the cat, Bud. It's a hilarious and surprisingly important part of the story, and the animal acting is a highlight.

I went in expecting another dark psychological drama and came out thoroughly entertained by a fast-paced and witty caper.

Saw this in theaters in France, movie came out earlier there.

A good crime thriller! Personally it's not something we haven't seen before, there are tons of good crime movies, but honestly the characters, cinematography and the humor, not forget the performances make this movie stand out.

It's extremely violent tho, gritty and darker than advertised, and if you're fan of Aronofsky's work, this will certainly not disappoint you. It's an amazing film and he really captures his own style. No matter the genre.

For me the best crime we've gotten this year.

I went into Caught Stealing with some hope, but came out disappointed. The plot was dreadful - bleak, depressing, and dragging to the point where I actually nodded off in the cinema (which is extremely rare for me). That alone says a lot about the pacing and engagement.

The ending didn't feel satisfying either; it wasn't even lazily wrapped up, just left hanging in a way that felt frustrating rather than thought-provoking.

On the positive side, Matt Smith delivered an excellent performance during his brief screen time - easily the highlight of the film. It's a shame he wasn't given more to do.

Overall, I can't recommend this one. Five stars is generous, purely because of Matt Smith and a few scattered moments, but the film as a whole felt like a slog.

'Caught Stealing' is a very watchable film - it's chaotic, stylish and full of energy from the very first scene. You can tell it's trying really hard to be something Guy Ritchie-esque with its quick pacing, eccentric characters and that mix of comedy and violence. Sometimes it works, but other times the plot just veers into nonsense. There are moments where you can feel the film straining to hold everything together, and not every beat lands the way it wants to.

That said, it's still a fun ride. The cast throw themselves into the madness, the cat is genuinely a scene-stealer, and there's enough style and momentum to keep you engaged even when the story wobbles. As long as you manage your expectations and don't go in expecting perfection, you'll probably find yourself entertained. Messy, yes - but very watchable.