Unexpected Felines: The Dark Comedy of 'Caught Stealing'
In this episode of *Movies First*, Chris and his co-host Jessica, dive into the wildly unpredictable world of Darren Aronofsky's latest thriller, *Caught Stealing*. What begins as a seemingly innocuous favor—watching a cat—quickly escalates into a chaotic whirlwind involving Russian mobsters and religious zealots, all while maintaining an unexpected charm. Chris highlights Justin Butler's standout performance as Hank Thompson, a burned-out bartender with a past in baseball, who finds himself ensnared in a web of crime in late 90s New York.
The hosts explore the film's setting in 1998, a pivotal moment before the millennium that captures the gritty essence of New York City on the brink of gentrification. Matthew Lee Batik's cinematography brings this atmosphere to life, with the city's seedy corners acting almost as a character itself. The episode also celebrates the impressive ensemble cast, featuring Regina King as a detective with ambiguous motives, Zoe Kravitz as Hank's sharp-witted paramedic girlfriend, and Matt Smith as a punk rocker whose transformation is nothing short of remarkable.
Listeners will appreciate the film's unique blend of dark humor and intense criminality, particularly in the performances of Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio as unsettling religious siblings. Chris and his co-host discuss how the film balances genuine thrills with absurdist moments, showcasing Aronofsky's evolution as a director who skillfully navigates genre conventions while maintaining his signature intensity.
With a solid rating of 8.5 out of 10, *Caught Stealing* proves to be a fresh take on the crime thriller genre, illustrating how the most mundane decisions can lead to extraordinary consequences. Join Chris and his co-host as they dissect this captivating film that reminds us to keep an eye on the chaos lurking in everyday life.
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Chris: Ever wonder how a simple cat sitting favor
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could lead to Russian mobsters, religious
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zealots, and a, uh, body count that keeps
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climbing? Darren Aronofsky's latest film
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takes that bizarre premise and transforms it
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into one of the most unexpected thrillers of
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the year.
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Jessica: You know what's fascinating about that setup?
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It completely subverts our expectations of
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what a crime thriller should be. Instead of
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some hardened criminal, we've got this burnt
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out bartender who used to play baseball.
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Chris: Well, that's exactly what makes Austin
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Butler's performance so compelling. He brings
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this. Hmm hm. This vulnerable quality to
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Hank Thompson that you rarely see in these
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kinds of films. Like here's a guy who's just
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trying to keep his head above water in late
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90s New York, and suddenly he's caught in
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this absolutely insane situation.
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Jessica: Speaking of that time period, why do you
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think aronofsky specifically chose 1998 for
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this story?
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Chris: Oh, man, that's such a great question. You've
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got this perfect moment right before the
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millennium. Right. New York still had this
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gritty edge to it, but you're also starting
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to see the first signs of gentrification.
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It's like the city itself is caught between
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two worlds, just like our main character.
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Jessica: The way they captured that atmosphere through
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Matthew Lee Batik's cinematography is really
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something else. Those seedy corners of the
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city feel almost like another character.
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Chris: And let's talk about actual characters
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because, wow, this cast is
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stacked. You've got Regina King playing this
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detective who might be helpful or might be
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part of the problem. Zoe Kravitz as this whip
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smart paramedic girlfriend. And then there's
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Matt Smith completely transforming himself
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into this sketchy British punk rocker.
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Jessica: Um, um, don't forget about that cat. I
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mean, getting a consistent performance from a
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cat that's supposed to be aggressive and
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unpredictable, that's some next level
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animal direction.
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Chris: You know what's really interesting about the
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cat element? It serves as this perfect
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metaphor for how chaos can enter your life
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through the most mundane decisions. Like,
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who would think that agreeing to watch a cat
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would lead to encounters with the Russian
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mafia?
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Jessica: Well, the way they balance those intense
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criminal elements with these moments of dark
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humor is really masterful. M.
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Especially those scenes with Liev Schreiber
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and Vincent d' Onofrio as the religious
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siblings.
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Chris: Right. Their performances are so
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nuanced, they could have easily fallen into
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stereotype territory. But instead they
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create these deeply unsettling characters who
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feel completely authentic within this world.
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Every scene they're in just crackles with
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tension.
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Jessica: The m Whole film really maintains this
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incredible balance between genuine thrills
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and these almost absurdist moments. It's
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like Aronofsky took everything he learned
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from Black Swan about psychological tension
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and applied it to a completely different
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genre.
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Chris: That's such a good point about the
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psychological aspects. The way they handle
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violence in this film is really interesting
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too. It's not gratuitous,
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but when it happens, it hits hard.
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You feel every punch, every consequence.
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Jessica: So what do you think this says about
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Aronofsky's evolution as a director?
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Chris: Well, I think it shows he's willing to take
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risks with genre conventions while still
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maintaining his signature intensity.
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Like this, uh, could have been just another
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crime thriller, but instead it becomes this
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meditation on chance, consequence
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and how quickly our lives can spiral out of
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control.
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Jessica: The way they stick the landing is pretty
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impressive too. So many thrillers fall
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apart in the third act, but this one keeps
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you guessing right up until the end.
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Chris: And that's really what makes this film
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special. It respects its audience enough to
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trust that we can handle these complex
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character dynamics and tonal shifts
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without having everything spelled out for us.
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Plus, Rob Simonson's score adds this perfect
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undercurrent of tension throughout the whole
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thing. Mm.
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Jessica: Mhm. It really does feel like a fresh take on
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the genre, doesn't it? Like they've found
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a way to honor those classic noir elements
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while completely reinventing them for a
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modern audience.
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Chris: You know what? I think that's going to be
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Aronofsky's legacy with this film.
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Showing that you can take familiar elements
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and make them feel completely new again.
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It's like he's saying, hey, even the most
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ordinary day can turn into something
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extraordinary. Just maybe keep an eye on
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that cat.
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We give Caught Stealing a score of eight and
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a half out of ten.
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