'Caught Stealing' Review: Darren Aronofsky Does a Tonal About-Face With Austin Butler Comedic Thriller

By William Bibbiani

Darren Aronofsky has been making movies for nearly 30 years, and for nearly 30 years it seems like he’s been angry at the audience for watching them. The typical Aronofsky joint is emotionally turbulent, often to the point of actual nausea. And while some are more accessible than others, he’s never been terribly interested in cutting us some slack and modulating his tone. His bleakest movies, like “Requiem for a Dream” and “Mother!”, are indistinguishable from panic attacks and anxiety nightmares. His most enjoyable movies — if you can call them that — are still pretty damned bleak. Unless you’re like me, and you were so desperate for Aronofsky to cut his characters some slack that you think the semi-ambiguous ending of “The Wrestler” meant everything turned out fine.

The new film “Caught Stealing” has Aronofsky’s name on it, but I’m not sure it’s the same filmmaker. Maybe it’s one of those “Paul Anderson” things, where one or both of these guys will have to start using their middle initials to avoid confusion. “Caught Stealing” isn’t an assault on the senses or an exercise in abject misery. It’s actually a pulpy crime story with good humor and spiffy characters who, yeah, sure seem to die a lot but it’s only a tragedy for like, one or two of them.