The trailers and previews for Caught Stealing make the movie look like a fast paced action film with a few quirks along the way. But the movie itself, it’s exactly what is promised or what you expect. It’s a muddled film with a lot of running, some awkward sex scenes, miss steps with pop cultural references and an adorable cat. Seriously, the cat steals the show more than any of the larger names on the screen.
After Hank (Austin Butler) is asked to watch his neighbor Russ’s (Matt Smith) cat, everything seems to go wrong. Russ left town with unfinished business and every mobster he owes money to is after him, but since he’s skipped town they take it out on Hank. Just trying to live his life, Hank is now embroiled in a mess with mobsters, dirty cops and Hasidic Jews who are all after the money. Simply watching a cat has not put his life, and everyone he loves in danger.
Set in 1998 in New York City, this gives the film the easy of not having smart phones or a lot of electronics to complicate the story line. This could give the movie a bit of grit with the punk aesthetic that the poster and characters are seemingly leaning towards. But instead, the movie seems to use it as a way to introduce some timely music choices including Meredith Brooks “Bitch” and some other song choices of the era. However, they take liberties with this as well, including a British band called the Idles a couple times as well as an original song for the movie by the band. While the bands music style may fit (possibly forced) into the movie type, them being formed in 2009, 11 years after the story takes place doesn’t seem to fit well. Sure, we can chalk this up to creative licensing but it more feels like someone just was trying to find a way to force a band into the story. It wouldn’t be as egregious if one of the characters didn’t call them out by name in the car.
The movie promises a lot of action and fun throughout it. But instead you get to hear “baseball” and “go giants” over and over instead. And while Hank is repeatedly injured, and had a life altering accident that killed his major league dreams, he is able to outrun and fight off the bad guys even days after major surgery and any beating he takes. He’s not John Wick, so this is even less believable for the character they set him up to be. Instead, it’s just let’s just see what kind of crazy scenario we can put him into next to see if he can make it out of it. It’s sloppy, messy and really not that entertaining.
Honestly, one of the only redeeming qualities of the movie is the cat Buddy. He’s cute and seemingly so well trained he never runs off even when he should. But that isn’t really a good reason to see the movie.
Caught Stealing in in theaters everywhere August 29th.
Overall Rating
About Caught Stealing
Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) was a high-school baseball phenom who can’t play anymore, but everything else is going okay. He’s got a great girl (Zoë Kravitz), tends bar at a New York dive, and his favorite team is making an underdog run at the pennant.
When his punk-rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, Hank suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters. They all want a piece of him; the problem is he has no idea why. As Hank attempts to evade their ever-tightening grip, he’s got to use all his hustle to stay alive long enough to find out…