The first reviews of Darren Aronofsky’sCaught Stealingare in, and it seems to live up to what the electric trailer promises. TheBlack SwanandThe Wrestlerdirector’s newest movie follows Hank (Austin Butler), a former baseball player who gets pulled into a hurricane of crime and action when his neighbor, Russ (Matt Smith), merely asks him to watch his cats for a few days.

Caught Stealingalsostars Zoë Kravitz, Bad Bunny, Vincent D’Onofrio, Regina King, and Carole Kane, and the comments from those who have seen the film early are largely positive.The trailer certainly makes it look like a wild ride, appearing to be a drastic departure from Aronofsky’s serious, traditional dramas,but the final version of this dark comedy and crime thriller seems to be worth it.

Austin Butler as Hank holding a baseball bat and looking scared in Caught Stealing

ScreenRant’s own Liam Crowley(via@LiamTCrowley)callsCaught Stealing"a shot of adrenaline,“and praises the overall structure of the plot:

Meanwhile,@joblocomdirectly says that it is “one of the best movies of the year”:

Caught Stealing 2025 Film Poster

@jairojimenez_praises some more of the specifics, including how the movie captures ’90s New York and the performances, especially Austin Butler:

More amusingly,@EricVespesays thatCaught Stealingis worth the number of times moviegoers have had to watch the trailer this year before other features:

This comes across as a risky movie, which is likely why@WMorales_BFTVsays:“Caught Stealing is better than I expected.“But it is apparently a “dark and twisted crime thriller” with a great cast, andOscar-winner Regina King has “a LOT of fun” with her role:

However, these opinions are not universal, as@bigtunaonfilmsays that the movie lacks “excitement,” but that the lead actors are still great:

What These Reactions Mean For Caught Stealing

Caught Stealing, which will hit theaters on Aug. 29 and has yet to receive any Rotten Tomatoes scores, has some big names on screen and behind the camerato spark the audience’s interest. Based on @EricVespe’s comment, the studio has invested in marketing it reasonably well. And if these reactions are any indication, good word of mouth could swiftly turn it into a hit.

Caught Stealingcontinues a trend for Austin Butlerof great crime thrillers, while Matt Smith and Zoë Kravitz have also produced some excellent work in recent years, meaning their fans may come out in droves to this movie, and they will have another great title added to their resumes. Overall,Caught Stealingis simply off to a great start.

Our Take On Caught Stealing’s First Reviews

There are a lot of creatives I like involved withCaught Stealing, and I can’t be the only one happy to see things working out for this movie.The director’s movies haven’t received as many Oscar nominations in recent years,but I am eager to see how this one will do in light of its more comedic angle.

Aronofsky’sThe Whale’s lead star, Brendan Fraser, ironically won Best Actor over Austin Butlerin 2023, but the high praise for theElvisactor may be the earliest hints that this will be his year, while Matt Smith could even earn his first Oscar nomination. Either way,Caught Stealinglooks like it is about to make its mark on the zeitgeist, hopefully for the better.