"Caught Stealing:" Darren Aronofsky’s Gritty Love Letter to New York

[The following review is spoiler-free]

For the past 25 years, filmmaker Darren Aronofsky has proven himself to be one of the most interesting directors in Hollywood. From Requiem for a Dream to The Whale, Aronofsky has been leaving audiences on the edge of their seats with every project and his latest feature, Caught Stealing is no different, having been one of the year's most highly anticipated projects. As of this week, it finally arrived to theaters, continuing the trend of 2025 films that read as a love letter to New York City.

Caught Stealing is based off the book of the same name by Charlie Huston. It follows bartender, Hank, played by Austin Butler, a once promising baseball player who finds himself in the middle of an elaborate crime conspiracy after agreeing to watch his neighbor's cat. A conspiracy that has roots in almost every ethnic enclave of New York City, from the Hasidic Crown Heights to the Russian Brighton Beach.

In addition to Butler, the film also has a star-studded cast consisting of Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, and Vincent D'Onofrio, all of whom give some of their best performances in years. Not to mention a surprising appearance from reggaeton superstar, Bad Bunny. Easily the strongest scenes are those with Schreiber and D'Onofrio as Jewish gansters, the Drucker Brothers, also known as "The Hebrews." They bring a unique amount of heart and humor to balance out the film's extreme violence. Special kudos are due to Matt Smith and Nikita Kukushkin who absolutely disappear into their respective characters.

But Caught Stealing doesn't just have a stacked cast, it also has an absolute dream-team working behind the scenes. This time around, Aronofsky employed frequent collaborators like composer, Rob Simonsen and cinematographer, Matthew Libatique. And in one of the most unexpected collaborations of the year, the film features new music from English punk band, IDLES. Libatique's cinematography is as dynamic and unpredictable as ever, paired with the work of editing titan, Andrew Weisblum, Caught Stealing never has a dull moment, visually. The music, camerawork and editing put together all under the direction of Aronofsky truly make for a film that never gives your heart a break. You'll be practically glued to the edge of your chair.

When you have a script as layered and intense as Caught Stealing, some things are bound to feel convoluted. There are some scenes that feel a little too long or overly complicated in the moment, but everything smoothly comes together in the third act. While it's definitely an oversimplification, Caught Stealing borders on being a straightforward action movie, which is new for Aronofsky, but surprisingly fits like a glove...a baseball glove.

Caught Stealing is a film with a setting so integral to the plot that it might as well be a main character. New York City is a location that has been thoroughly explored on screen throughout the years, borderline overrepresented. But Caught Stealing is a film that truly would not be able to take place anywhere else. New York's fast-paced nature, cultural diversity, baseball fondness, and seedy underbelly all make for the perfect location for this story to unfold.

Darren Aronofsky somehow made a movie that combines the unconditional love of the city from Manhattan, with the harsh truth of Taxi Driver. Whether you love or hate New York City, there's something for everyone. After seeing it in theaters, I think audiences will agree that Caught Stealing is a real home run!