Review: Caught Stealing

16 November, 2025 William Eguizabal 0 Comments 2 categories

Title: Caught Stealing
MPA Rating: R
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Austin Butler, Matt Smith. Regina King
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

What It Is: Hank Thompson (Butler) is a bartender at a local drinking establishment. He’s also a massive San Francisco Giants fan. He was once a star on the diamond himself, until an accident took all of that away. When his neighbor Russ (Smith) asks him to watch his cat, things take a terrible turn for Hank. Unbeknownst to him, he’s stepped into a drug consortium — one with depths and turbulence he cannot begin to comprehend. And sadly, he’s about to find out exactly what that means.

What We Think: Darren Aronofsky is a director who likes to make whatever he wants, but he’s never made a film like this. This is a peak piece of cinema: a solid heist/action vehicle that gives his enormously talented leading man room to shine. Butler sparkles like a new penny… even if we’ll never actually have new pennies again.

Regina King is great. The entire cast brings their A-game here. My biggest non-film-related issue is Hank being a Giants fan. Go Dodgers!

I love how the film explores the duality of the criminal mindset while also building Hank into a fully three-dimensional character. He’s flawed, deeply, but at the end of the day, you’re rooting for him to figure it out. Aronofsky is such a good director when he wants to be, and he absolutely showed up here.

Our Grade: B+, I enjoyed this for exactly what it is: a fun, action-packed heist film. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need. I love having a good time at the movies, and it’s even better when that fun film is well-made and has a captain behind it as incredibly talented as Aronofsky.

Check this out immediately.