Pop Culture Happy Hour – "Caught Stealing"
Date: September 2, 2025
Host: Glen Weldon
Guests: Tre’vell Anderson (journalist & podcast host), Kate Young (podcast producer, film & culture critic)
Episode Overview
This episode centers on a lively roundtable discussion of the new film Caught Stealing, directed by Darren Aronofsky. The group explores the film’s effectiveness as a throwback crime thriller, its heavy reliance on tropes and cliches, its cast, pacing, and the overall lack of artistic innovation. The conversation examines not only the film’s strengths and weaknesses, but also what it says about Aronofsky’s evolving directorial style.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Setup: A Familiar, Trope-Laden Crime Caper
- Caught Stealing follows Hank (Austin Butler), a down-on-his-luck bartender in 1990s New York’s East Village, whose life unravels after he agrees to cat sit for his neighbor and stumbles into a violent criminal feud over stolen cash.
- The cast includes Zoe Kravitz, Bad Bunny, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio, Matt Smith, Griffin Dunne, and Carol Kane.
- The team notes its homage quality: “Think Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man meets Reservoir Dogs,” with clear genre influences.
(Introduced by Glen Weldon, 02:53–05:02)
2. General Impressions & Tone
- Kate Young: Enjoyed the cast and “watching the film,” but uncertain what to expect from Aronofsky; finds it “a significant improvement” over The Whale but says many plot points “don’t all fit.”
(04:14)- Quote: “Did I like this film? I didn’t not like this film.” – Kate Young (04:14)
- Tre’vell Anderson: Describes it as a “Sunday Afternoon movie”—mildly entertaining but not memorable. The film evokes nostalgia for channel-surfing, but “doesn’t stick to you in any real way.”
(05:14–05:47)- Quote: “You enjoy it, you watch it, and then at the end, you’re like, huh, okay.” – Tre’vell Anderson (05:47)
- Glen Weldon: Calls it “very simplistic, but satisfying,” engineered with classic screenwriting cliches (“Screenwriting 101”), likening it to a rollercoaster that’s “hilariously obvious and kind of artless.”
(06:18–08:01)- Quote: “They’re going full Robert McKee at this thing, and I’m like, okay, this is what we’re doing. All right? I kind of respect that. It never tries to hide the fact that it’s pushing your buttons.” – Glen Weldon (07:12)
3. Predictability and Pacing
- The film is “extremely predictable” and “artless,” with every plot twist easily anticipated.
- Quote: “By the halfway point, we’re just getting a hat and a hat. It’s the same stuff over and over and over again.” – Kate Young (09:09)
- The movie’s structure is compared unfavorably to music “to solve rather than enjoy,” reducing engagement.
- Viewers found the repeated tropes and length led to disengagement—even questioning where they were in the story due to perceived faux-endings and slow pacing.
- Quote: “It’s just too long. I’m not against a particular runtime, but you feel every single minute of this movie.” – Kate Young (11:39)
4. The Cast: A Saving Grace Amidst Weakness
- All agree the impressive cast is a highlight, with standouts like Regina King and fun cameos (Griffin Dunne).
- However, even star power can’t elevate the script’s limitations, and some cast were underutilized.
- Quote: “I think the cast is the reason why I was, like, excited to check it out... even Regina King has to fill in the roles between the major, you know, career-defining ones as well.” – Tre’vell Anderson (10:51)
- Regina King is praised, but it’s noted even she can’t fully overcome the writing (“…she can do no wrong in my book… will I mention Caught Stealing? Probably not.” – Anderson, 10:51)
5. Representation and Use of Characters
- Kate voices frustration at the use of Black female characters as narrative devices—a tired trope that “is very easily avoided if you pay attention.”
- Quote: “The way that he uses the Black female characters... was the biggest black mark for me.” – Kate Young (12:35)
- Tre’vell echoes this criticism, calling it “disappointing to see yet another trope,” especially in portrayals of people of color—“definitely leaves you with a sour taste.” (12:45)
6. Aronofsky’s Directorial Choices and Tone
- The panel explores how this film feels at odds with Aronofsky’s typical work (usually “tough to sit through” or challenging the audience).
- Here, he plays it for genre satisfaction and catharsis: “not hand wringing at the nature of violence” but seeking to “deliver satisfaction at the end.”
- Glen: “I think it makes it a fascinating movie from Darren Aronofsky, who does not do that.” (14:24)
- There’s surprise at the humor and tonal inconsistency: the film is unexpectedly funny but also graphically violent, creating “wild” swings in mood.
- Quote: “A lot of this is really funny... but for me, as someone who does not like to see people get beat up, I had to cover my eyes a few times.” – Kate Young (14:24)
- The violence and multiple false endings left viewers restless and disengaged. “Is the movie over yet?” (15:02–15:49)
7. Period Authenticity and Production Design
- Glen brings up the film’s evocation of 1990s New York, noting the “authenticity”—black-walled bars, band stickers, grimy settings, payphones. The team generally agrees these details felt right, though younger panelists can only judge by perception.
- Quote: “I could feel Paul’s bar. I could smell Paul’s bar. He got the details right.” – Glen Weldon (17:17)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:14 | Kate Young | “Did I like this film? I didn’t not like this film.” | | 05:47 | Tre’vell Anderson | “You enjoy it, you watch it, and then at the end, you’re like, huh, okay.” | | 07:12 | Glen Weldon | “They’re going full Robert McKee at this thing, and I’m like, okay...I kind of respect that.” | | 09:09 | Kate Young | “By the halfway point, we’re just getting a hat and a hat. It’s the same stuff over and over and over again.” | | 10:51 | Tre’vell Anderson | “I think the cast is the reason why I was, like, excited to check it out...even Regina King has to, you know, fill in the roles between the major...career defining ones as well.” | | 11:39 | Kate Young | “It’s just too long. I’m not against a particular runtime, but you feel every single minute of this movie.” | | 12:35 | Kate Young | “The way that he uses the black female characters... was the biggest black mark for me.” | | 12:45 | Tre’vell Anderson | “It’s actually quite disappointing to see yet another trope.” | | 14:24 | Glen Weldon | “It makes it a fascinating movie from Darren Aronofsky, who does not do that.” | | 17:17 | Glen Weldon | “I could feel Paul’s bar. I could smell Paul’s bar. He got the details right.” |
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:53 – Introduction to the film, cast, and premise.
- 04:14 – Kate shares her reaction and comparison to other Aronofsky films.
- 05:14 – Tre’vell offers a “Sunday Afternoon movie” analogy.
- 06:18 – Glen deconstructs the film’s reliance on storytelling cliches.
- 09:09 – Predictability and repetitive tropes discussed.
- 10:04 – The ensemble cast is dissected.
- 11:39 – Criticism of pacing and structure.
- 12:35 – Discussion on problematic depictions of Black female characters.
- 13:03 – Aronofsky’s track record and this film’s place within it.
- 14:24 – Surprise at tonal shifts and violence.
- 15:49 – “Artless” execution and production design.
- 16:56–17:17 – The authenticity of New York, 1990s setting.
Final Thoughts
The group broadly concurs: Caught Stealing is entertaining in the way of an old fashioned, trope-heavy genre film, technically proficient but ultimately uninspired and unmemorable. Its modest pleasures are largely due to a game cast and solid period details, but it’s held back by a predictable script, meandering pace, reliance on cliches, and underwhelming representation choices. As an entry in Aronofsky’s filmography, it’s a surprising (if forgettable) experiment with convention.
Consensus: Worth watching only if you’re in the mood for a low-stakes crime romp or are devoted to the cast. Otherwise, likely to fade from memory as the credits roll.