My Thoughts on the Film, Caught Stealing (2025), 3/1/2026….

What’s the difference between a comedy and a thriller? Death? Murder? Torture? Violence? Well, wouldn’t all that make whatever film you’re categorizing a black comedy? Or is it just a thriller? Or just a comedy?

I’ll settle on black comedy.

Caught Stealing (2025), directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), and written by Charlie Huston (Gotham), whose novel it is based upon, is a visceral film; the laughs and graphic violence make it so. It’s one of those films where you guffaw one moment, and your mouth drops in shock the next. The novel, which I had previously read, still elicits the same knee-jerk reactions.

Austin Butler (Elvis) plays the reluctant hero Hank Thompson, an easy-going bartender who is thrust into a situation he cannot fathom, handle, or survive. But he does—no surprises here. The plot is realistic and the settings are gritty—the story takes place in 1990s New York City. (I rhymed! Heh-heh! There’s even meter!) In his teens, Hank was a talented baseball player on the cusp of the Big Leagues, but an accident shot down his chances; his recurring dreams of the incident mar his calm.

Yvonne, energetically depicted by Zoë Kravitz (The Batman), is Hank's paramedic girlfriend who is eager to advance their relationship. She serves as the moral compass for the bartender. Lipa (Liev Schreiber, Golda) and Shmully (Vincent D'Onofrio, Daredevil), a family-oriented, Hasidic, gangster brother team, illustrate their capacity for über-violence while doggedly pursuing Hank. They act as the comic relief for the film, and do so splendidly. Regina King (The Harder They Fall) plays Detective Roman, a duplicitous cop who offers Hank questionable aid. Matt Smith (House of the Dragon) rounds out the cast as Russ, a punk-rocker who is the catalyst for Henry’s woes.

While I enjoyed the film, the pacing was at times uneven, but not enough to prevent me from finishing it. Huston has written two more Hank Thompson novels, and Caught Stealing ended just as it did in its source. Not exactly a teaser for a sequel, but the idea is there.

I recommend this film to fans of Aronofsky and to folks who enjoy a good black comedy.