Johnson Thomas
A genre-bending thriller that keeps you on your toes
Film: Caught Stealing
Cast: Austin Butler, Zöe Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Carol Kane, Laura Dern, Tonic the cat
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Rating: * * * 1/2
Runtime: 107 m
In Caught Stealing, a genre-bending crime thriller based on Charlie Huston’s novel, Darren Aronofsky pivots from an intense psychological drama to an accelerating, wild adventure set in late 1990s New York. Stylish and capricious this crime thriller is sprinkled with dark humor, and works in some depth along with it.
Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a burned out former high school baseball player who has an alcohol problem, and a past trauma that haunts him, now tending a bar and dating a paramedic Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), is called on to cat-sit for his neighbor, Russ (Matt Smith). Before he knows it, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival, forced to deal with a dangerous underworld inhabited by Russian, Jewish, and Puerto Rican gangsters. Is mistaken identity the reason?
Russ, a punk-rock junkie has a stash of money that belongs to some gangsters and Hank becomes the guy they chase because he is on the scene at the wrong time.
The wild adventure takes us through the seediest streets of New York, as Hank gets chased by goons (Benito Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio). Police detective Roman (Regina King) is also giving chase.
Hank wants to protect Yvonne and his new cat, Bud - but his tryst with the seedy side of New York is both unpredictable and absurd. He gets beaten up at regular intervals and indulges in alcohol to offset that aggravation.
The chaotic narrative encompasses a series of escalating encounters studded with thrilling action interventions, stylized chases and gritty kinesis. Aronofsky’s signature visual style makes it all the more thrilling. The narrative sparks a playful tone while emotionally charging up the audience and keeping them thrilled out by the sheer energy, inventiveness and swiftness of the encounters.The film is totally gripping, combining dark humor, frenetic action and nail-biting suspense. The narrative goes from comical to emotional to dark in a matter of minutes. The frequent tone-switching keeps the audience on their toes, eager for more. The incredibly vivid cinematography from three-time Oscar nominee Matthew Libatique, taut editing by Andrew Weisblum, gruesome action sequences and comedic moments, keep you intensely engaged throughout. The songs from the Spin Doctors, Madonna, and Semisonic, playing in the background suit the 90’s setting.
Butler’s fully-committed performance works well with Aronofsky’s edgy style. Caught Stealing, gets you all caught up in its tone-switching rapacious adventure. It is undoubtedly a captivating and thrilling experience at that!
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