Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoe Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 107 mins

Caught Stealing is the new film by Darren Aronofsky, a crime thriller adaptation of the 2004 Charlie Huston novel. At first, it might seem strange that Aronofsky is directing what appears to be a straight-up crime thriller – after all, he’s known for his psychological dramas that explore broken and conflicted individuals. However, don’t worry because there’s plenty of Aronofsky to be found in this darkly original adaptation.

Austin Butler plays Henry ‘Hank’ Thompson, a former baseball player-turned-bartender who’s bordering on alcoholism while living in the Lower East Side of New York, where his girlfriend Yvonne works as a paramedic. His British punk neighbour Russ Binder (Matt Smith) is off to London to see his ailing father and asks Hank to look after his cat. All hell breaks loose when two Russian mobsters rock up at the door searching for Russ though, and Hank finds himself on the receiving end of their anger.

Caught Stealing is a wildly unpredictable ride from start to finish that holds no punches in its brutal approach. Aronofsky is on top form here, and the film is directed with real flair, with plenty of his trademark grimness. This is a film that’s often wince-inducing and blackly comic, sometimes at the same time. It has a real kineticism, and there’s some excellent setpieces, especially a third act car chase. But there’s also heart and I really brought the electic mix of characters, and Aronofsky deftly showcases the dirty, grimy nature of the city.

Austin Butler is terrific as Hank, a deeply troubled individual who’s struggling to get himself out of a vicious cycle. Aronofsky gives the character plenty of meat to the bone. Matt Smith is having fun as the drug dealer neighbour with an outrageous mohawk, and Regina King’s excellent as a deliciously slippery police detective. Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio are also brilliant as Lipa and Smully Drucker, Hasidic brothers who you really don’t want to mess with.

The film’s vividly shot by Aronofsky’s regular cinematographer Matthew Libatique and there’s a fun post-punk score by British band Idles that’s been written by Rob Simonsen, who scored The Whale.

I was surprised just how much I liked Caught Stealing, expecting it to be a minor work by Aronofsky after his last couple of films have explored some heavy subject matter. But the director proves his versatility by transposing his fingerprints onto a genre he hasn’t explored before, and I was completely on board with Caught Stealing from start to finish. This is an excellent film, and one I can’t wait to rewatch.