Film Review: CAUGHT STEALING (2025): Darren Aronofsky’s Zany Mainstream Comedy is an Entertaining Mess

Caught Stealing Review

Caught Stealing (2025) Film Review, a movie directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Charlie Huston and starring Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Griffin Dunne, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane, Dominique Silver, Shaun O’Hagan, Action Bronson, George Abud, Mike Francesa, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Will Brill and Oleg Prudius.

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky has made many great movies, but his latest, Caught Stealing, isn’t one of them. Marty Scorsese managed to make a wacky comedy in 1985, After Hours, which has stood the test of time as a classic. It seems easy to make a comedy like Scorsese’s masterpiece and Caught Stealing proves that is not the case. It does, however, takes a gifted director to make something as offbeat as Aronofsky’s new picture work, and it’s possible the filmmaker just wanted to have a good time behind the camera after making a slew of heavy films such as Brendan Fraser’s powerhouse drama, The Whale. Caught Stealing is a pleasant enough late summer diversion, but it’s as forgettable as it is entertaining to watch in the moment.

Based on a book by Charlie Huston, Austin Butler stars in the new film as Hank Thompson, a young man who works as a bartender despite aspirations to be a professional baseball player. With a New York setting and vibe, this story sets itself in the late 1990’s and has fun with its initial premise. A neighbor named Russ (Matt Smith, efficiently going all out punk) enlists Hank to babysit his cute cat, Bud. Hank gets into more trouble than he bargained for as Russ isn’t respected much in the Big Apple. When Hank finds himself in the hospital after losing a kidney, he probably realizes he’s entered into something resembling a big city The Twilight Zone as goons start to look for Hank in a story where he must use his wits to survive.

This film borrows the star of After Hours, Griffin Dunne. He plays Paul, Hank’s boss, and it’s great to see Dunne working again after not being enlisted to direct Practical Magic 2, for whatever reason, despite having made the first Practical Magic. Dunne is a gifted talent and it’s always nice to see him pop up in a movie and add his distinct charisma. He also appeared in the star-studded Stuck on You briefly back in 2003.

Zoë Kravitz ably plays Yvonne, Hank’s girlfriend, who enters into the film with an appealing presence, but quickly gets lost in Aronofsky’s quirky to a fault shuffle. Regina King looks out of place as Detective Roman, but King seems like she’s having fun being enlisted in the goofiness that is Caught Stealing. King ultimately makes the role work in her favor with her earnest work.

There are a number of humorous side characters here, namely the pair of Hasidic hit men played by Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio. Both actors get to revel in these roles which prove to be rather menacing, but keep the viewer entertained by just how extreme the characterizations by these actors are. There’s a reason these are two of our most under-valued character actors working today. Bad Bunny effectively plays a crime boss, too, in an inspired casting choice. Look for Carol Kane in an enjoyable cameo that definitely sticks out like a sore thumb in this entertaining mess of a film. Kane has never been more quirky on-screen and that’s saying a lot!

Butler’s likable character has a difficult past, having survived a car crash and all. This movie puts him in plenty of sticky situations and close calls. When Hank ends up at a ball game at Shea Stadium (which was later replaced by Citi Field in real life), there’s an exciting quality about the picture that manifests itself through the scenes of hot pursuit that are integrated into the film. I particularly enjoyed the movie’s over-the-top style that gives it the feeling of being very unique. It’s not as memorable as After Hours, yet in the moment, it all makes for a zany ride.

Caught Stealing is the type of movie that may resonate with young people the most. It’s got an old-fashioned chase movie vibe to it that is probably more enjoyable for viewers coming to this type of movie for the first time without having seen all the films that a more experienced movie watcher has. Aronofsky cut his teeth on heavy dramas and that works well here in terms of how the director builds tension, but he lightens things up with comedy and the cute cat, Bud, who can steal scenes in this picture.

Austin Butler is certainly charismatic enough to carry a picture like this and he will keep the audience on their toes as he escapes one wild dilemma after another in the energetic Caught Stealing. While I prefer the darker Aronofsky dramas, this lighter than expected action picture rests on its attractive cast and is a late-summer movie to check out while waiting for the distinguished fall movie slate to come out. Aronofsky might have just proved he’s capable of making a mainstream movie this time out and Butler fans will probably enjoy the actor’s tremendous appeal as well.

Rating: 7/10

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