Austin Butler plays a sweet bartender named Hank Thompson in Caught Stealing, which is set in 1998 New York City. A former baseball player who was on his way to the pros until a tragic accident derailed his career, he loves the San Francisco Giants and is rarely seen without his SF Giants cap. He has a girlfriend, Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), who loves him and does her best to take care of him, but even she can't foresee what's coming when his neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) dumps his cat off with Hank because he's heading to London to visit his father, who's had a stroke.
It turns out Russ is a drug dealer involved in some dirty business, which has ruthless Russian criminals on his heels. When they can't find him, they take their anger out on Hank, putting him in the hospital.
The rest of the film follows Hank as he tries to escape the criminals, with the help of Police Detective Roman (Regina King). However, at a certain point, Hank, who suffers from PTSD from the accident he survived in his teens, doesn't know who he can trust anymore. He definitely doesn't know what they want from him or Russ.
Austin Butler truly carries this film. He's rarely offscreen and his charm shines through as he portrays a regular guy who tries to appear tough but is just someone who loves his mom and makes sure to call her every day -- mostly to talk about the Giants. The film is filled with violence almost from beginning to end, but Austin's performance elevates Caught Stealing into a really enjoyable experience. The only actor who steals focus away from Austin is the cat, played by Tonic (previously seen in the 2019 film Pet Sematary). Hank is less than enthusiastic about cat-sitting, but he grows fond of him in short time. Every time Tonic appeared on the screen, he earned an "Awwwww" from the preview audience, and when he was in danger, there were loud gasps. An adorable scene-stealer.
One minor complaint is that with a clever double entendre title like Caught Stealing, the film could have had a bit more baseball -- possibly a flashback -- but nevertheless, it's a clever script that ties everything together neatly, making for an entertaining time at the movies.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
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