Austin Butler Fronts NYC Crime Thriller ‘Caught Stealing’ Out Today

Caught Stealing makes its big-screen debut today, dragging audiences straight into the grit and chaos of late-90s New York City. The film, adapted from Charlie Huston’s novel, centers on Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a washed-up baseball player who finds himself tangled in a world he has no business being part of.

Instead of chasing curveballs, Hank is stuck behind the bar at a dingy Manhattan dive, nursing regrets and pouring drinks. His quiet routine doesn’t last. What begins with something as mundane as looking after a neighbor’s cat quickly unravels into a nightmare. By the time Hank realizes what’s happening, he’s dodging gangsters and scraping for survival in a city that never lets anyone off easy.

The film’s ensemble is as sharp as its premise. Zoë Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Carol Kane, Griffin Dunne, and Matt Smith as the punk-rock neighbor Russ. Bad Bunny, Regina King, and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai round out the ensemble, bringing even more energy to a film already stacked with talent, and the result is a cast brimming with tension, swagger, and unpredictability.

Behind the camera, Darren Aronofsky directs with his signature intensity. Longtime collaborator Matthew Libatique handles cinematography, ensuring New York feels less like a backdrop and more like a living, breathing menace. Aronofsky described the project as “a true love letter to the greatest city in the world” when speaking at CinemaCon, but this is no sentimental postcard—it’s a survival tale written in blood and neon.

For readers of Huston’s books, Caught Stealing is the opening chapter of a potential trilogy. Sequels Six Bad Things and A Dangerous Man are already waiting in the wings, promising even darker turns for Hank Thompson’s story. Huston himself adapted the screenplay, keeping the jagged edges of the original intact while translating them for the screen.

With Butler front and center, Caught Stealing takes its swing today, August 29. The game is no longer baseball—it’s endurance, and the only rule is staying alive.

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