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2h ago

Early Reviews for Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing Hail Austin Butler, Question the Tone

Adapted from Charlie Huston’s novel, early notices single out vivid 1990s New York detail, punishing action, uneven pacing.

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Zoë Kravitz, left, and Austin Butler star in Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing.”
Still from Caught Stealing
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Overview

  • Sony and Columbia open the R-rated crime caper in theaters on Aug. 29 following a wave of advance reviews.
  • Set in 1998 on the Lower East Side, the story tracks a bartender and former baseball prospect whose cat-sitting favor entangles him with rival criminals.
  • Critics repeatedly praise Austin Butler’s performance, with notices also highlighting Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Regina King, Bad Bunny, Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio.
  • Reviews stress graphic, often startling violence and pervasive profanity, with Matthew Libatique’s cinematography and an Idles-driven score shaping the gritty atmosphere.
  • Several outlets flag tonal whiplash and structural issues, framing the film as Aronofsky’s most commercial-leaning pivot that still proves divisive.