Cats, guns and a key: Caught Stealing review

After the symbol-laden psychotrip "Mother!" and the intimate chamber play "The Whale", director Darren Aronofsky now ventures into the gangster genre and delivers a snotty, dirty crime actioner with "Caught Stealing", which aims to take on the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. Find out whether it succeeds in this film review!

Austin Butler in the crossfire

"Caught Stealing" takes us to New York in the 90s, where the once promising baseball player Hank earns his living as a bartender in a corner pub. Alcohol and his girlfriend Yvonne are the only things that keep him going. A seemingly harmless favor for his punk neighbor Russ – taking care of his cat Bud – changes his life abruptly. Suddenly he finds himself on the run from Russian gangsters, corrupt policemen and two ruthless hitmen, all of whom are after a mysterious key. What follows is a merciless chase through bars, subway tunnels and rainy streets as Hank fights for survival.

The Aronofsky we know – and the one we don't

With "Caught Stealing", Aronofsky ventures into a genre that one would not have expected from him. After films such as "The Wrestler" or "Requiem for a Dream", which often explored the inner workings of the human soul, he now delivers a crime drama with a good dose of black humor. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique captures New York in the 90s in a haunting and authentic way: Away from any nostalgia transfiguration, gloomy corner streets, dilapidated apartments and stuffy bars dominate – definitely a refreshing change from the inflationary 80s retro productions of recent years. The movie proves to be an unstoppable chase, especially in the second half, and again and again you get the feeling of being part of a single fever dream. This may certainly seem overwhelming for some viewers, but it is staged quite effectively.

Strong characters and a minor star

The cast is undoubtedly one of the film's greatest strengths: Austin Butler delivers perhaps the best performance of his career here – vulnerable, charming and always on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Matt Smith causes pure chaos as the eccentric punk Russ, while Vincent D'Onofrio and Liev Schreiber provide a few laughs as the killer duo. Unfortunately, Zoë Kravitz is the only one to miss out, as her role is limited solely to the love interest.

And then there's Bud, the cat. Bud is not only the emotional anchor of the movie, but also runs like a thread through the story. Alongside all the blood and chaos, he always provides some peace and quiet – and at the latest when he cuddles up in Hank's arm, purring, it's all over.

Where the paint peels a little...

Despite its staging and acting qualities, "Caught Stealing" is not a revolution in terms of content. The basic story – an innocent person gets caught between two criminal fronts – seems rather hackneyed. Again and again, you get the feeling that Aronofsky wanted to make his own little version of a Guy Ritchie film. Comparisons with "Snatch" or "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" are not completely out of the blue.

Which is also immediately noticeable: The tone is anything but constant. One minute you're laughing at bizarre situations and characters, the next it's brutal and dark again. This tonal volatility is certainly not to everyone's taste. The running time is also a little too long, and the first 30 minutes in particular don't really get going.

Conclusion

With "Caught Stealing", Aronofsky certainly delivers his most crowd-pleasing film. The mixture of black humor, tough action and the dirty 90s look is definitely a lot of fun. Aronofsky may enrich the genre with his style, but the screenplay tells a story that has been seen before in a similar form. Many elements seem familiar, the tone fluctuates and, in contrast to the emotional impact of his previous works, "Caught Stealing" remains quite cool. Those who nevertheless appreciate the director's love of experimentation will certainly get their money's worth. But you shouldn't expect a masterpiece – it lacks that certain something that usually makes Aronofsky's films so special.