New York City – STREAMING MOVIE NIGHT

2025 Sony Pictures Releasing

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 47min

Crime ~ Comedy ~ Thriller

Starring: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Benito Martínez Ocasio, Griffin Dunne, Carol Kane, Yuri Kolokolnikov and Nikita Kukushkin.

2 Russians, 2 Jews And A Puerto Rican Walk Into A Bar….

Caught Stealing is based on The Crime Novel of the same name by American author Charlie Huston, first published on January 1, 2004.

Henry “Hank” Thompson (Austin Butler) is a bartender living in New York’s Lower East Side. He is a washed up former Baseball Player whose major league ambitions were dashed in a drunken car wreck. Hank survived, but his best friend was killed, and it left Hank with a lot of guilt as well as a drinking problem. After closing the bar and heading home to his apartment, he meets his Punk Rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) in the hallway. He tells Hank that his father died and he has to fly to London immediately. He asks him to watch his cranky cat, Bud while he is gone. Hank protests but Russ won’t here of it, forces the cat and the key on him and leaves. It seems simple enough but things go south fast when a pair of brutal Russian mobsters (Yuri Kolokolnikov and Nikita Kukushkin) show up looking for Russ, beating Hank so badly he ends up in the hospital in emergency surgery losing a kidney.

A narcotics detective named Elise Roman (Regina King) questions him and hints at Russ’s shady drug connections to the infamous Hasidic Drucker brothers (Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio). Hank denies that he did anything wrong and tells her that Russ only asked him to watch his cat, and he has no idea why the mobsters beat him so savagely. Hank’s girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz) assists Hank back to his apartment after being released. Back home Hank discovers a mysterious key stashed in Bud’s litter box hidden in fake plastic cat poop. He decides to go down to the bar to talk to his boss about missing two days while he was in the hospital. He calls Detective Roman and tells her about the key and proceeds to tie one on while he processes recent events. When Hank comes to the next morning in his apartment, the two Russian Mobsters and a Puerto Rican named Colorado (Benito Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny) threaten him with more violence unless he tells them where the key is.

Things go downhill quickly from there as Hank’s girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz) gets caught in the crossfire, leaving him reeling as he dodges beatings, betrayals, and double-crosses from Roman, the Russians, and the Druckers. He hides out, retrieves clues from unexpected spots like abandoned clothes, and scrambles to protect Bud the cat while piecing together who’s after what. Everyone wants that key, and Hank’s past regrets fuel his fight to stay alive amid the chaos of the Lower East Side underworld. Bodies pile up and alliances shatter, Hank races through bars, subways, and shadowy deals, outsmarting killers with quick thinking and sheer luck. He confronts lies from those closest to the mess, weighing loyalty against survival in a city that chews up the weak. The stakes skyrocket with threats hitting personal levels, forcing Hank to tap into the grit that once made him a ballplayer.

Austin Butler shines in this gritty urban thriller, and at times it reminds me of his role in Elvis. He has a very distinctive voice full of southern charm, I honestly can’t believe he didn’t win an Oscar for that. Zoë Kravitz brings fiery vulnerability as Yvonne, Hank’s girlfriend. Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio are hilariously menacing as the two Hasidic Drucker brothers Lipa and Shmully. Caught Stealing delivers a pulpy, high-octane thrill ride through 1998 NYC’s gritty underworld, blending brutal action, dark humor, and relentless twists that keep you hooked from the first beatdown.

Highly Recommended!

Now streaming on Netflix!

An American Horror Story

The Apprentice tells the story of a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) as he begins to forge his path in the cutthroat world of New York City real estate during the 1970s and 1980s. At the heart of the story is Trump’s relationship with his mentor, the infamous and ruthless attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who guides him in the art of manipulation, media control, and power plays. The film opens with Trump learning the ropes from Cohn, including his harsh lessons on always attacking, never admitting fault, and insisting on victory no matter the circumstances.

As the story moves forward, it depicts the transformation of Trump from an ambitious, somewhat naïve young businessman into a colder and more calculating figure, influenced heavily by Cohn’s tough, unscrupulous style. Trump’s business ventures, including his attempts to develop iconic properties such as the Trump Taj Mahal, along with his complicated family dynamics, particularly with his father Fred (Martin Donovan) and first wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova), feature prominently. The film explores the darker, more controversial aspects of Trump’s rise, including personal betrayals and legal controversies, painting a complex picture of ambition and ruthlessness.

In the latter part of the film, the relationship between Trump and Cohn deteriorates as Trump outgrows his mentor’s influence and embraces a persona marked by hubris and ruthless ambition. Cohn’s battle with AIDS and his eventual decline provide a stark contrast to Trump’s ascent, highlighting themes of power, loyalty, and the cost of success. The Apprentice offers a provocative glimpse into the making of a man who would later become one of the most polarizing figures in American politics, with strong performances creating an intense, character-driven drama.

In the beginning I felt myself drawn into Donald Trump’s desire to be successful, and I felt for the character on the screen. I almost felt sorry for him as I could feel his desire to be successful and help his family. Watching him fall for Ivana and chase her down with his heart in his hands was swaying my feelings for the man that is now President. But somewhere in the middle of the movie, things started to change. It got dark, very dark. Power, lust and the desire to be successful at any cost bore the markings of pure evil. Donald took Roy Cohn’s words and three rules to heart, and ultimately betrayed Roy’s friendship and trust with his own words.

It was obviously written and filmed to offer a distinct vision of Donald Trump and his rise to power. At the same time it offers a glimpse into the road that got him where he is today. All I can say about this is that it is a fascinating look at that journey. Whether fact or fiction, or a combination of the two, it is a story that starts out innocently enough and then takes a very dark turn into An American Horror Story.

Definitely worth a watch………