Caught Stealing

I respect director Darren Aronofsky's boldness in departing from his traditional heavy dramas for a semi-dramatic action film. I always find it exciting when artists break out of their formulas to attempt something new and uncomfortable. At the end of the day, however, risks don't always pay off—and that felt to be the case with Aronofsky's 2025 film Caught Stealing. The film struggles to find the right balance between grounding its action in emotional realism and heightening its drama with high-octane spectacle.

Although I expected the signature Aronofsky tragedy of films like Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan to be toned down, Caught Stealing still attempted a tragic backstory for its protagonist. Hank's drunk driving accident ends both his future baseball career and his best friend's life, but the film never meaningfully explores the deeper implications of this past. His guilt—centered less on the friend he lost and more on his career derailment—could have been a compelling explanation for his constant "running away." Instead, the event is recycled as a shallow device to win our sympathy: Hank has suffered, so we should empathize (boo-hoo).

On the positive side, several performances stood out. Zoe Kravitz and Austin Butler's chemistry felt genuine, and Matt Smith was easily the highlight of the film—though his abrupt and frustrating death undercut his impact. Unfortunately, the ensemble of antagonists added little beyond padding the runtime. None felt particularly menacing, and their one-dimensional, muddled motivations made them unmemorable obstacles rather than meaningful threats.

I could have forgiven a lackluster character drama had the action sequences compensated, but they didn't. Every set piece—from interrogations to car chases to money handoffs—felt like a weaker imitation of scenes done better in countless other films. Caught Stealing never carved out an identity of its own in the genre.

In the end, while sparks of chemistry and a few strong performances carried moments of the film, Caught Stealing never rose above its muddled plotting and uninspired action. In trying to fuse Aronofsky's trademark intensity with genre thrills, the film ultimately fell short on both fronts.