Director Darren Aronofsky has at all times been identified for pushing his characters into darkish, punishing corners, however with Caught Stealing he takes a pointy left flip into one thing wildly completely different.
This can be a violent, humorous, unpredictable crime thriller that looks like Aronofsky chopping free and taking part in in a sandbox he’s by no means performed in earlier than. The film shocked me, not solely due to how entertaining it’s, however as a result of it reveals a facet of Aronofsky we haven’t actually seen.
On the middle of the story is Hank Thompson, performed by Austin Butler, a former baseball prodigy whose life has leveled out into one thing fairly regular. He’s tending bar, having fun with life together with his girlfriend (Zoë Kravitz), and watching his favourite group make a run on the pennant.
All the things shifts when his neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat. That one small favor throws Hank into the center of a violent underworld, the place gangsters and thugs are all after him for causes he doesn’t perceive. From that time on, the film barrels ahead with power, chaos, and nonstop hazard.
Aronofsky’s fingerprints are nonetheless right here, he doesn’t make it simple on Hank, who suffers by way of the movie in a manner that recollects the “beat-to-hell” fashion of motion heroics, however the tone is lighter, sharper, and extra playful than something the director has completed earlier than.
At occasions it looks like a Man Ritchie romp, with witty banter, quirky characters, and a humorousness that retains chopping by way of the carnage. Different occasions it feels prefer it leans into the Coen brothers’ model of storytelling and filmmaking. What’s spectacular is how Aronofsky makes these influences his personal whereas nonetheless sustaining a decent, character-driven story.
The film’s power is explosive, and Butler is true on the middle of it. He spends a lot of the runtime working scared, out of his depth, and always scrambling to remain alive. That vulnerability is what makes him really easy to root for.
He’s charming and humorous, but in addition painfully human, and watching him attempt to claw his manner out of conditions he by no means requested for is each brutal and exhilarating. Butler’s efficiency offers the movie its emotional core, and it is likely to be probably the most purely entertaining work of his profession to date.
Visually and stylistically, Aronofsky is clearly having enjoyable. The movie strikes at a breakneck tempo with tense motion sequences, fashionable digital camera work, and a soundtrack that pumps the adrenaline even greater.
It’s violent and bloody, sure, but it surely’s additionally unusually joyous in the best way it leans into the chaos. The unpredictability of the story retains you hooked, with twists and turns that genuinely throw you off steadiness. Simply if you suppose you already know the place it’s going, it pulls you elsewhere.
What makes Caught Stealing stand out from Aronofsky’s different work is how balanced it feels. The darkness remains to be there as Hank takes extra punishment than most protagonists may ever endure, but it surely’s layered with humor, appeal, and character.
As an alternative of drowning the story in distress, Aronofsky makes use of that grit to gas a fast-paced, thrilling crime thriller. It’s a movie the place character progress is simply as essential because the motion, which is why it really works on greater than only a visceral degree.
Ultimately, Caught Stealing is an increidbly entertaining movie. It’s violent, fashionable, filled with standout performances, and full of moments that had me grinning, wincing, and laughing out loud.
Aronofsky could also be taking part in in a brand new sandbox right here, however he’s clearly relishing it, and the result’s a bombastic thrill journey that delivers on each degree. For those who’ve ever thought Aronofsky was too heavy-handed previously, this is likely to be the film that wins you over.
