Review: A cat opens the door to the underworld in ‘Caught Stealing’

A scene from ‘Caught Stealing’ courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

‘Caught Stealing’ twists and turns as an agreement to pet sit turns into a life-and-death search for a needle in a haystack.

Good-hearted people are a scarce commodity in the world, but thankfully they still exist. Of course, there are people whose job it is to help others. But some people take it upon themselves to do something just because it’s the right thing to do. The act can be big or small, but it’s usually something from which they’re unlikely to benefit. Unfortunately, the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished” really does hold true in some situations. Everyone’s heard horror stories of a Good Samaritan being penalized for trying to lend a helping hand. In Caught Stealing, a neighbourly gesture brings down a rain of pain.

Hank (Austin Butler) could’ve played for the San Francisco Giants, but instead he’s had to settle for being a diehard fan and the bartender at a local dive. One late night after work, he finds his punk rock neighbour, Russ (Matt Smith), at his door. He wants Hank to watch his cat while he goes out of town. Luckily Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), who was accompanying Hank home that evening, likes Bud (Tonic) and convinces Hank to care for him. Unfortunately, pet sitting is the least of Hank’s concerns when Russian and Hebrew gangsters come looking for the punk next door and decide to go through Hank whether he can help them or not. Detective Roman (Regina King) is his only hope, but even she thinks Hank is hiding something.

This is absolutely the worst-case scenario when agreeing to do a favour for a neighbour. It’s impossible not to feel sorry for Hank, whose life is turned upside down because he unknowingly lives next door to the wrong guy. Over the course of the film, he’s severely beaten, stalked, chased and tortured even though he immediately shares any information he has, which isn’t much. This nightmare definitely reinforces the city sentiment of avoiding your neighbours — especially when your generosity could result in internal bleeding.

Director Darren Aronofsky’s filmography spans multiple genres, though his approach is rarely traditional. The title suggests a heist movie or robbery gone wrong. But it’s really a double entendre, referring to the baseball term and the assumption made by all the gangsters. In spite of the threats and consequent fear, the film lacks an intense sense of urgency. Hank’s traumatic past has made him almost unflappable. With few exceptions, he remains relatively calm in highly stressful situations — characteristics that Butler naturally portrays with ease. Even Bud the cat, who plays an integral role in the film, is more tense than Hank.

Although the film doesn’t unfold at a fast pace, it is constantly developing. With each new attempt on Hank’s life, he learns more about Russ’ secret dealings. Describing his associates as violent would be an understatement. A deranged character named Microbe (Nikita Kukushkin) lacks any self-control when it comes to inflicting any manner of pain. He’s the Russian attack dog, but lacks a much-needed leash. More surprising are the Hasidic Jews (Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio), who observe Shabbos and carry out a massacre in the same breath. Conversely, the only metal Hank knows his way around is an aluminum bat.

The star-studded cast is more than up to the task of bringing these unconventional characters to life. While most of the film rests on Butler’s shoulders, his co-stars occasionally borrow the spotlight for a well-deserved moment.

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Austin Butler, Regina King and Zoë Kravitz