Darren Aronofsky's high-octane new thriller Caught Stealing has earned some strong first reactions ahead of its cinema release.
The film was penned by screenwriter Charlie Huston, who also wrote the 2004 book of the same name. It stars Austin Butler as Hank Thompson, a former baseball pro who is roped into the criminal underworld of 1998 New York City.
With a soundtrack from Idles and a star-studded cast including Matt Smith, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King and Liev Schreiber, Caught Stealing has been hailed as Aronofsky "at his most crowd-pleasing" in the first social reviews.
"#CaughtStealing is a wildly entertaining crime caper full of twists & turns," Chris Killian at ComicBook.com wrote on Twitter/X.
"Easily Aronofsky at his most crowd-pleasing. Austin Butler & Zoë Kravitz are both fantastic, but might be the unluckiest movie couple since Clarence and Alabama in True Romance. Matt Smith steals it."
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Variety's Jazz Tangcay said: "I loved #CaughtStealing. Darren Aronofsky does not miss taking on crime action. What a ride!
"Austin Butler is F***KING great as Hank, and shoutout to Regina King, a bad-ass through and through. Matthew Libatique is just one of the best cinematographers out there."
Elsewhere, the movie has been described as a "shot of adrenaline" with many twists. It has also been likened to a Guy Ritchie film.
"#CaughtStealing is a shot of adrenaline. Every time I thought I knew where it was going, another sneaky (yet still plot-justified) swerve hits. I gasped. I winced. I laughed out loud," Screen Rant's Liam Crowley noted.
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YouTuber Sean Chandler commented: "#CaughtStealing is a bit like Aronofsky's version of a Guy Ritchie crime caper. It has the chaos & comedy of errors, but [it] keeps Aronofsky's edge & emotional weight.
"This is Aronofsky at his most accessible & fun, but [without] sacrificing his edge or uniqueness. Butler is great."
Finally, JoBlo.com is betting on Caught Stealing being one of the best films of 2025.
"#CaughtStealing is one of the best movies of the year. A propulsive thriller that reminds me of the kind of classic indie thrillers made the year this is set (1998)," they wrote. "Austin Butler has the goods."
Caught Stealing is released in cinemas on 29 August.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
