“Caught Stealing” is the latest film from Darren Aronofsky and stars Austin Butler as a baseball-loving bartender named Hank, who winds up in a stir of crime-related chaos by agreeing to take care of his neighbor’s cat.
The film takes place in New York City in 1998 and harps on the pre-Y2K, counter-cultural scene that was present in big cities at the time. Hank is a rugged alcoholic who loves baseball; Russ, Hank’s neighbor, is essentially a stand-in for any 70s punk star.
Featured alongside Hank and Russ are Hank’s carefree girlfriend, two brawny members of the Russian mafia and two orthodox Jewish mobsters, who still manage to respect their Jewish customs despite their violent nature.
The rough characters of “Caught Stealing” are familiar to Darren Aronofsky’s previous works. Aronofsky’s first film, “Pi,” was shot on grainy black-and-white 16mm film and follows a mathematician losing his mind, while “Requiem for a Dream” follows a group of drug addicts as their addictions spiral out of control. The tones of these two films are very dark and depressing.
Aronofsky’s last film before “Caught Stealing” was 2023’s “The Whale,” and while that film is not as psychologically dark as “Pi,” and “Requiem,” it is still a dramatically depressing story.
“Caught Stealing” is wildly different.
This is the first time where the primary tone of one of Aronofsky’s films was a comedic one. “Caught Stealing” is not a comedy in the same way “Superbad” is a comedy. Although the plot revolves around crime and features some dark scenes, there were many comedic moments in the film that landed surprisingly well.
The tone of the film also ties into the counter-cultural background. Joel Coen’s “The Big Lebowski” from 1988 was released, which inspired the plot and tone of “Caught Stealing.” In crime-comedies set in big cities (like “The Big Lebowski” set in Los Angeles), the protagonist ends up in a dangerous series of events that never meant to happen.
Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours” is another dark comedy where the same thing happens, and this time, it’s also in New York City. The movie’s protagonist, Griffin Dunne, also has a small part in “Caught Stealing” as one of Hank’s co-workers.
“Caught Stealing” is a love letter to crime-comedies from the ‘90s, especially to the ones made by the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson. The all-star cast, crime-related plot, juxtaposition of tense and comedic moments and constant needledrops are akin to that period of filmmaking.
While the film uses pre-existing songs in almost every scene, there is still a decent amount of space for the score by Rob Simonsen.
The score is essentially an extension of the soundtrack, and it sounds inspired by music from the late ‘90s. A slightly distorted electric bass is what drives the main melodies of the score, which is fitting to the tone of the film and the accompanying soundtrack.
There were times in the film where it felt like the filmmakers tried too hard to capture the underground New York setting that they overdid what was happening in the plot. The overall plot of “Caught Stealing” is simple, but after the film ends, it is difficult to recount and re-explain everything that happened; a flaw that is also present in “The Big Lebowski.”
Austin Butler, however, gave a perfect lead performance alongside Regina King, who also gave an equally outstanding performance. King plays one of the film’s many side characters; however, the film focuses on too much at once, resulting in serious pacing issues.
There were times where the film was edited very well, specifically in the darker scenes, but the overall editing makes the film feel about 20 minutes longer than necessary.
“Caught Stealing” is perfect for those who can pick up on the counter-cultural/1990s references, but for those looking for something well-written and well-paced like some of the films “Caught Stealing” is influenced by, then it’s best to watch those films instead.
“Caught Stealing” is currently streaming at Bexley’s Drexel Theatre.
