Caught Stealing is a 2025 Darren Aronofsky crime caper starring Austin Butler as a former baseball prospect pulled into New York’s criminal underworld. Netflix’s U.S. arrival was reported for November 29, 2025, but availability varies by country. It is worth a look if you want a fast, offbeat crime story; “flop” describes its reported theatrical performance against its reported budget, not a proven financial loss.
What is Caught Stealing about?
Hank Thompson, played by Austin Butler, was once a high-school baseball phenom, but he can no longer play. He tends bar at a New York dive and agrees to look after his punk-rock neighbor Russ’s cat. That favor draws him into a dangerous situation with gangsters, though Hank does not know why they are after him. Zoë Kravitz plays Hank’s girlfriend, and Matt Smith plays Russ, according to Sony Pictures’ official synopsis.
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The film is set in 1990s New York and adapts Charlie Huston’s Caught Stealing, the first novel in a trilogy. The Associated Press describes the premise as an ex-baseball player caught up in the city’s criminal underworld. Sony labels the movie a “Crime Caper”; other classifications include comedy, crime, and thriller. That mix is a better guide to its appeal than expecting a straight, relentlessly grim thriller.
Is Caught Stealing on Netflix?
Netflix has a catalog listing for Caught Stealing. What’s on Netflix reported that it arrived on U.S. Netflix on November 29, 2025, while noting that release timing differs by territory. The reported U.S. date does not establish availability in every country or guarantee that the title remains in a local catalog, so check Netflix where you watch.
#1 Best Overall
- Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a former baseball prodigy now tending bar at a New York dive, has a great girl (Zo� Kravitz) and his team is chasing the pennant. When his neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to watch a cat, he?s caught in the middle of a crew of threatening gangsters and he has no idea why. He?s got to use all his hustle to stay alive long enough to find out.
Is the movie worth streaming?
It is a sensible pick if Butler, Aronofsky, or a crime caper with dark-comedy and thriller elements is your draw. The setup starts with a mundane favor—the cat-sitting—and escalates into gangland trouble, giving the story a more eccentric hook than a conventional underworld tale. If you chiefly want a sober, realistic crime drama, the caper framing and tonal blend may be less appealing.
In a December 3, 2025 review roundup, Tom’s Guide reported Rotten Tomatoes scores of 84% from critics and 83% from audiences, plus a 6.9/10 IMDb score. These are dated snapshots, not fixed current ratings. The article quoted Philip Concannon, a critic for Sight & Sound: “It seems like Darren Aronofsky is finally having fun, and for a brisk 107 minutes, so are we.”
Box Office Mojo lists a 107-minute runtime and an R rating. If you are choosing based on tone, this is the more useful distinction: it is a brisk crime caper with thriller pressure and dark humor, not simply a grim thriller. The cast and director are additional reasons to try it, while Netflix access depends on your region.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why was Caught Stealing called a flop?
The label refers to the theatrical gross falling short of a reported budget, not to a confirmed accounting of the film’s profitability. Box Office Mojo lists a worldwide gross of $33,251,665: $19,005,242 domestic and $14,246,423 international. Its listed domestic opening was $7,803,925. These database totals are a box-office snapshot accessed in 2026; gross receipts alone do not show marketing costs, distribution terms, other revenue, or whether the film ultimately made or lost money.
Tom’s Guide reported a $40 million budget and an approximately $32 million worldwide gross; What’s on Netflix likewise characterized the gross as over $30 million and below the film’s budget. Those are secondary reports, and the gross figure differs from Box Office Mojo’s listed total. A reported production budget is not the same as total costs, so the available numbers support calling the theatrical run weak relative to the reported budget, but not declaring the movie a financial loss.
Where to find the source novel or home-video edition
For readers who want to explore the source material, the Associated Press notes that the film is based on Charlie Huston’s books; Tom’s Guide identifies it as an adaptation of the first novel in a trilogy. Sony’s movie page lists Caught Stealing on Blu-ray and digital. Availability and editions can change, so check the current listing in your market.
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