This summer, Darren Aronofsky is trading psychological intensity for gritty chaos in Caught Stealing, his newest film set to hit theaters on August 29, 2025. Known for haunting dramas like Black Swan and The Whale, Aronofsky takes a sharp left turn with this black comedy crime thriller adapted from Charlie Huston’s cult novel. With Huston himself penning the screenplay, the film is a high-octane plunge into 1990s New York City—a love letter to the city at its wildest.
At the center of Caught Stealing is Hank Thompson, portrayed by Elvis star Austin Butler. Once a high-school baseball prodigy, Hank’s life has unraveled; now he slings drinks in a grungy Lower East Side bar and shares a shaky relationship with his girlfriend Yvonne, played by Zoë Kravitz. Things spiral when Hank agrees to cat-sit for his neighbor Russ, a punk rocker played by Matt Smith. What begins as an innocent favor soon detonates into a full-blown nightmare, dragging Hank deep into the city’s criminal underworld.
As the plot unravels, Hank finds himself on the run from an eccentric and dangerous mix of lowlifes, mobsters, and unpredictable oddballs. Among them: Regina King as a ruthless fixer, Liev Schreiber as a crooked cop, Vincent D’Onofrio in full menace mode, and international superstar Bad Bunny (credited as Benito A Martínez Ocasio) in what promises to be a scene-stealing role. Add in appearances from Carol Kane, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Brill, and Action Bronson, and you’ve got a rogues’ gallery worthy of a Coen Brothers fever dream.
Aronofsky describes Caught Stealing as a wild departure from his usual style. Though still grounded in his intense storytelling approach, the film leans more into energy, chaos, and absurdity than psychological depth. That said, the movie doesn’t skimp on stakes or style. Shot in grainy, kinetic tones that capture the grunge of 1990s New York, it immerses viewers in a city alive with danger, humor, and unpredictability.
The official trailer, released in May, hints at a thrilling genre mashup—equal parts crime caper, survival story, and black comedy. Butler’s transformation from everyday guy to reluctant antihero feels electric, and the film’s breakneck pace is peppered with sharp dialogue and grim laughs. It’s a story about bad luck, bad choices, and very bad people—with a cat at the center of the chaos.
Backed by Columbia Pictures and Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures, Caught Stealing is poised to be a late-summer standout. For those who love their thrillers twisted, their comedy dark, and their New York stories unfiltered, this one looks unmissable.
