Una scomoda circostanza: Caught Stealing

I caught an advanced screening of Caught Stealing (2025) in theaters this evening. The storyline follows a California transplant living in New York who agrees to watch his neighbor's cat while the man is away caring for his sick father. Soon, a series of strangers begin showing up at his apartment, demanding to know his neighbor's whereabouts, and subjecting him to brutal beatings and torture in the process. What are they after-and can he find a way to help them before he, and everyone he knows, ends up dead?

This picture is directed by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) and stars Austin Butler (Elvis), Zoë Kravitz (The Batman), Matt Smith (House of the Dragon), Liev Schreiber (Scream), and Regina King (The Harder They Fall).

The story is clever and unpredictable, often feeling like a Guy Ritchie crime caper-but rooted deeply in a gritty, authentic New York setting. The cast delivers elite performances, and the plot is packed with sharp twists and turns. The cinematography and camera angles are equally impressive, enhancing the tension and style throughout.

The action is top-tier: abrupt fight scenes, thrilling car chases, sudden bursts of gore, and intense shootouts that all land with impact. Even the subplots, particularly those tied to the chases and crashes, are smartly executed. The ending is immensely satisfying, and the soundtrack is brilliant.

In conclusion, Caught Stealing isn't perfect, but it's an unpredictable and worthwhile rollercoaster of violence, intensity, and action. I'd score it a strong 7.5-8/10 and strongly recommend it.

Who decided this was a dark comedy/comedy? Despite the trailer appearing to show several humorous scenes, the actual movie had very little humor or comedy. That's not a complaint just a little unexpected observation after seeing the trailer. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and Austin Butler is a very capable actor expertly handling the fast paced action and violence, as well as the more emotional scenes. There were the occasional obvious scenarios played out, but it had enough twists and turns to keep me entertained to the closing credits. Speaking of which don't get up and leave after the initial credits as there are another couple of short scenes.

Sneakly and unexpectedly one of the most entertaining films of the year. Good Time mixed with Pi and After Hours, with a touch of Guy Ritchie was a combination that crafted a film as interesting as all these other works mentioned. The script may be simple and lack certain depth, but the movie makes it up for it with personality. The atmosphere of 1990s New York is striking, and the cinematography was excellent, greatly utilizing color and the photographed spaces to create captivating settings. I really enjoyed the culture clash between the characters, who, due to their different nationalities and religions, have different personalities, methods, and approaches to dealing with the film's central situation, especially the dynamic between Hank, a small-town American, and Russ, a British punk. The dialogue is quite engaging.

Not his best, but a memorable entry in aronosfky's filmography.

Saw this in theaters in France, movie came out earlier there.

A good crime thriller! Personally it's not something we haven't seen before, there are tons of good crime movies, but honestly the characters, cinematography and the humor, not forget the performances make this movie stand out.

It's extremely violent tho, gritty and darker than advertised, and if you're fan of Aronofsky's work, this will certainly not disappoint you. It's an amazing film and he really captures his own style. No matter the genre.

For me the best crime we've gotten this year.

I went into Caught Stealing with some hope, but came out disappointed. The plot was dreadful - bleak, depressing, and dragging to the point where I actually nodded off in the cinema (which is extremely rare for me). That alone says a lot about the pacing and engagement.

The ending didn't feel satisfying either; it wasn't even lazily wrapped up, just left hanging in a way that felt frustrating rather than thought-provoking.

On the positive side, Matt Smith delivered an excellent performance during his brief screen time - easily the highlight of the film. It's a shame he wasn't given more to do.

Overall, I can't recommend this one. Five stars is generous, purely because of Matt Smith and a few scattered moments, but the film as a whole felt like a slog.