Caught Stealing (2025)

My Review

When his punk-rock neighbor asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, bartender Hank suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of thugs who all want a piece of him in “Caught Stealing.” Director Darren Aronofsky (“The Whale” 2022) put together a surprisingly riveting crime drama with an interesting storyline, good performances, and a well honed screenplay by Charlie Huston.

The cast delivered edgy performances, especially Austin Butler in the lead role. He has a wide range as an actor as he is also remembered for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in “Elvis” (2022). Co-stars include Regina King as the policewoman, Zoe Kravitz as his girl friend, Matt Smith as his creepy neighbor, Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio as Hasidic brothers, Carol Kane as their mother, Laura Dern as Butler’s mum, Griffin Dune as a barkeep, Yuri Kolokolnikov and Nikita Kukushkin as Russian mobsters, Benito Martinez Ocasio as their Puerto Rican associate, and Tonic as Bud the cat.

The watchable “Caught Stealing” was a flop at the box office for Columbia Pictures, Protozoa Pictures, and Sony Pictures Releasing.