"Feels exactly like an Aronofsky film": Fans react as Caught Stealing trailer surfaces; also praise Austin Butler & Matt Smith's on-screen appearance

Writer-director Darren Aronofsky makes a flashier comeback with Caught Stealing, which departs from his usual storytelling style. He is famously known for his work on psychological thrillers like Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010). Otherwise, even when he ventured into horror like 2017's Mother! or drama in 2008's Wrestler and 2022's The Whale, his work remained just as emotionally taxing.

The trailer for Caught Stealing promises a similarly hectic ride, albeit with a slight tonal departure from his usual directorial style. It focuses less on dramatic moments and far more on the comical ones. So, it feels like an anxiety-inducing trip but with loads of humor. Since the trailer dropped online on May 21, 2025, the fans have started pouring their love and pointing out similar observations about the film. One of the comments spoke about the stylistic cocktail by saying:

"It feels exactly like an Aronofsky film while feeling completely different from an Aronofsky film simultaneously.Perhaps it’s the comedy of it all, but the shots and editing are exactly what I expected them to be. Can’t wait for this."

A screenshot of a comment on the new trailer (Image via YouTube)

The following comments pointed out some acute observations of why Caught Stealing simultaneously feels like and unlike an Aronofsky film.

Fans react to the new trailer for Caught Stealing, starring Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz

The trailer for Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing has just surfaced online, thanks to Sony Pictures Entertainment. It promises a wildly intoxicating ride in a way that feels like something in Aronofsky's wheelhouse. However, as said before, the trailer promises a deviation from Aronofsky's usual style. One of the comments pointed out the same, by saying,

"This looks so wildly different from Aronofsky's previous work and I'm here for it!"

Then, another comment points out some wonderful observations based on the eye-catching editing style, reminiscent of the work of filmmakers like Edgar Wright and Guy Ritchie. The trailer looks similar to Guy Ritchie's hysterical crime thrillers like Snatch (2000) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). Add Matt Smith's peculiar accent, and you start seeing the resemblance almost immediately.

In line with this, @JohnnyBRad 44 wrote,

"Aronofsky with a splash of early Ritchie and a pinch of Wright...I'm in"

The film stars Austin Butler, who attended the Cannes Premiere of Ari Aster's Eddington, alongside Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, and Joaquin Phoenix. Only a few days later, we get a peek at his role in Caught Stealing. So, referring to the same, @Rasim9898 shared their admiration:

"Austin Butler seems to be in everything at the moment and I love it."

@bowtie_baron further added,

"Heck yeah, Matt Smith!!!"

Everything we know so far about Austin Butler's Caught Stealing

Caught Stealing follows a washed-up baseball player who finds himself caught in New York's criminal underbelly, which puts his life increasingly at risk. Here's the official synopsis:

"Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) was a high-school baseball phenom who can’t play anymore, but everything else is going okay. He’s got a great girl (Zoë Kravitz), tends a bar at a New York dive, and his favorite team is making an underdog run at the pennant. When his punk-rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, Hank suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters. They all want a piece of him; the problem is he has no idea why. As Hank attempts to evade their ever-tightening grip, he’s got to use all his hustle to stay alive long enough to find out."

The cast includes: