Austin Butler in Caught Stealing. (Niko Tavernise/Sony Pictures Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection)Hello, Yahoo readers! My name is Brett Arnold, film critic and longtime Yahoo editor, and I'm back with another edition of Trust Me, I Watch Everything.
It's a busy week! In theaters, you can catch Austin Butler in Caught Stealing, as well as the long-awaited remake of Troma cult classic The Toxic Avenger, starring Peter Dinklage. At home, body-horror flick Together, starring real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco, is now available to rent, as is the family-friendly Sketch. On streaming services you're likely already paying for, The Thursday Murder Club debuts on Netflix and Marvel's Thunderbolts* finally makes its way to Disney+. If you've managed to make it this far without having the meaning of that asterisk spoiled, now's your chance!AdvertisementAdvertisementRead on, because there's something here for everyone!What to watch in theatersMovies newly available to rent or buyMovies newly available on streaming services you may already haveš„ What to watch in theatersMy recommendation: Caught StealingWhy you should watch it: Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing is about as fun as it is deeply unpleasant. Many innocent people die throughout! It's a bizarre mix tonally that absolutely should not work but does, thanks to the director elevating familiar crime caper material with his signature bombastic style and interest in self-destructive characters who are their own worst enemies. Aronofsky is plenty familiar with unpleasant - Requiem for a Dream was his big breakout, after all - but the fun part feels new and exciting for a filmmaker who has thus far demanded to be taken seriously.
AdvertisementAdvertisementBased on the book of the same name, the movie is set in New York City in 1998 and stars Austin Butler as an ex-baseball player turned bartender who was once set for a career playing professional ball before his alcoholism got in the way. He hasn't stopped drinking since that setback, which seems to define his life. While looking after his neighbor's cat, some gangsters show up and beat the hell out of him, and he's thrust into a criminal underworld he wants no part of, and has no business being involved in, as everybody seeks a pile of money his neighbor hid somewhere.
What makes the film stand out is that it's not just that wacky plot driving the narrative; it's the fact that we care about Butler's journey and want him to survive the night. There are many funny side characters and situations he encounters: Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio as a pair of Hasidic Jewish gangsters are a highlight, Zoƫ Kravitz is great as Butler's love interest and Regina King hasn't had this much fun onscreen in ages.
Liev Schreiber, Austin Butler and Vincent D'Onofrio in Caught Stealing. (Niko Tavernise/Sony Pictures Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection)The movie is ultimately more about Butler's character trying to come to terms with the trauma of his past and move on. It ends with such a glimmer of hope, I had to stick around for the credits and make sure I was watching the work of twisted auteur Aronofsky.
It's certainly dour throughout, but it's all in service of reminding the viewer we have the power within ourselves to affect change no matter how bad the circumstances. Butler is absolutely sensational here, again proving he's got real movie-star power, if Elvis didn't already convince you. The role involves a lot of physical comedy in addition to making us care about him as a person, and he does a terrific job of selling both the big laughs and the more emotional moments.
AdvertisementAdvertisementCaught Stealing is somehow both an exciting change of pace for Aronfosky and a film that fits comfortably within his oeuvre of movies about sad protagonists with some sort of addiction that gets the better of them. It's a mainstream crowd-pleaser - with some tonal bumps along the way, including one potential movie-ruining choice for some viewers - with a bit more on its mind than the usual flick that will open on 3,000 screens.
What other critics are saying: There's a mixed bag of responses, but they skew positive. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw clocked it as "very enjoyable spectacle." Indiewire's Kate Erbland, however, writes that "it doesn't pop, at least until the film's final act, which finally brings together Aronofsky's disparate parts and shows an inkling of what the filmmaker was attempting to capture."How to watch: Caught Stealing is now in theaters nationwide.
Get ticketsBonus recommendation: The Toxic AvengerWhy you should watch it: The long-awaited remake of the Troma cult classic is finally here after a multiyear delay and rumors that the film would never see the light of day. Written and directed by actor/filmmaker Macon Blair, The Toxic Avenger stars Peter Dinklage in the titular role alongside Jacob Tremblay as his teenage son.
AdvertisementAdvertisementA horrible accident transforms downtrodden and terminally