“All of his seedy hallmarks” – Review: Caught Stealing

Darren Aronofsky has somehow directed his most commercially-friendly and straightforward film while simultaneously paying homage to his career and all of his influences. Such is the compelling paradox of Caught Stealing, a crime-comedy that makes you do a double-take when seeing Aronofsky’s name, until you start to see all of his seedy hallmarks. The result is a film that might win over those who haven’t enjoyed his other work, even if it feels a little shallower by comparison.

Caught Stealing features a colorful cadre of characters and peppy dialogue, seeming to pay homage to Quentin Tarantino. This is one of many ways that this film seems like a love letter to growing up as a filmmaker in the 90s and being involved in the creative revival of 90s indie cinema. From shots and colors reminiscent of Wes Anderson, to pumping in 90s musical touchstones, and including knowing shots of Kim’s Video and the Twin Towers in the background, Aronofsky — a Polish-Jew from Manhattan Beach — uses this movie as a vehicle to signal all the things that shaped him.

While a window into Aronofsky’s mind and background is interesting, Caught Stealing‘s actual narrative and character arc are a tad pedestrian. It focuses on a young man, Hank, drifting through life after having a chance at a Major League Baseball career ruined. He winds up in the criminal enterprises of his apartment neighbor (a highly entertaining Matt Smith) and must survive dealings with various wild criminals including a smooth-talking Puerto Rican (Bad Bunny), violent and eccentric Russians, and outwardly-polite Hassidic Jews. As one might guess, much of this is quite entertaining and funny. Seeing Aronofsky tackle overt comedy is a surprise, but a welcome one to be sure. It is neat to see a talented filmmaker flex his wings and try something different, demonstrating his skills without the hangups that some of his other work creates.

Yet despite all the hijinks, Hank’s arc is ultimately rather predictable. He’s been carrying guilt throughout his life, and as the film tells us, he has a way of running from his problems. To no surprise, his involvement with the criminals helps teach him that he can’t run away from everything. While the lead performance from Austin Butler is fantastic, proving again that Butler has great lead energy, without metacontext about Arnofsky the film is a bit weak and sloppy on the storytelling front.

The cast and script are largely funny and entertaining enough for that to not matter. Vincent D’Onofrio and Liev Schreiber have limited screentime as Jewish gangsters, but they are so wonderfully affable in their roles that they leave a large impression. The contrast between their attempts to follow shabbas while still committing violent acts is amusing, and the performances are strong enough to make one want for a spin-off focused on those characters.

Caught Stealing is quite enjoyable for what it is, and viewing it through the lens of what led Aronofsky to become the filmmaker he is helps elevate it. It’s not a movie that will wow you or redefine the crime comedy, but it does its job well enough. It does show the possibility of new horizons for Aronofsky, if he chooses to embrace them.

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