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Caught Stealing a solid night’s entertainment from a director trying on a different fit. Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan filmmaker Darren Aronofsky trades experimentation and provocation for pace and black comedy; the result is engaging and nimble, if more straightforward and ultimately less distinctive than you might expect from him.

Austin Butler plays Hank Thompson, a washed-up ex-ballplayer now tending bar. He does a small favour and ends up in the crosshairs of people who want something he’s connected to. What that “something” is, is ultimately quite simple, and it becomes clear as the story unfolds, but the film isn’t built around one particular reveal. It’s a film that runs on momentum: cause leads to effect, sequences pass the baton smoothly, and a few days of chaos play niely, like one long, messy sprint. There’s a good dose of grit here, and a particularly dark turn, but it doesn’t tip into misery. The tonal focus is firmly on energy and dark humour. The violence comes in sharp spikes, and the few gross-out beats land as grim chuckles.

Butler holds the centre, doing well shifting from cheeky charm to genuine remorse to desperation, and without showboating. There’s also a quiet redemption line under the mayhem that gives the chase shape, and when the finale reaches for a bigger emotional note, it mostly feels earned. Zoë Kravitz is also quite good – she keeps Yvonne grounded and human. And, importantly, there’s good chemistry between the two leads.

The ensemble adds colour in quick, memorable bursts: Matt Smith is a lot of fun as a livewire complication, Regina King with flinty command, Nikita Kukushkin is funny and wildly unpredictable as a short-fuse Russian baddie, and Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio are enjoyable as heavies you won’t confuse with anyone else. And, of course, I can’t forget the very important feline role. The very cute Tonic plays Bud, a very welcome and adorable addition to the characters.

There’s also a very specific time and setting here: 1998, New York City. The period texture is undeniable and gives the tale a welcome specificity, although I didn’t find that it enriched the story quite as much as it seemed to promise.

What surprised me a little bit – perhaps even a bit of a let down – is, given the director, how straightforward this filmmaking is. I like seeing Aronofsky tackle lighter, more accessible material like this, and he seems to be having fun, yet the visual approach is functional rather than adventurous. Those hoping for a bolder stylistic stamp may find this a touch plain. The focus is discipline: actor-led scenes, lucid geography, and narrative-driven pacing.

In the end, Caught Stealing keeps its priorities straight: movement, character, consequence. It’s a film that, ultimately, plays within familiar lines, but it’s a confidently handled, darkly funny city run that proves a satisfying watch.