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Labor Day weekend is often a slower time at the movies, but this Labor Day we get a couple of certified bangers in theaters. Below are my takes on this week’s movies. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Caught Stealing (Theaters)
Starring: Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz, Matt Smith, and Regina King
Synopsis: Sometimes we get pulled into things we don’t expect. The question is how we react when that happens. If we can keep our head, we can make our way out of it even when others crumble. That’s certainly an idea at the heart of Caught Stealing, a new film that opens nationwide on Friday. The film comes from director Darren Aronofsky. It’s based on the book from Charlie Huston, who crafted the screenplay. It’s the story of a former baseball standout who is a bit lost. He gets pulled into something he didn’t expect and ends up going on one wild ride. The film centers on Hank (Butler) who is living in a small apartment in New York City in 1998. He works as a bartender, and he’s obsessed with the San Francisco Giants. He was once a top baseball prospect, but an accident ended that dream and left him shaken. But his life lacks direction. One night, after a long shift, he heads to his apartment with his girlfriend Yvonne (Kravitz). She’s a paramedic and while she loves Hank, she’s ready for something more serious. To get there, she needs him to face his past and move forward. As they’re on Hank’s doorstep, they run into his neighbor Russ (Smith). Russ is distraught. His father is ill, and he needs to head to London. He asks Hank to look after his cat. Hank reluctantly agrees and Russ heads off into the night. It isn’t long before some tough characters come looking for Russ. When they don’t find him, they take it out on Hank. Without realizing it, Hank is on the hook for something big that Russ got himself into. Soon, Hank is scrambling to find out what’s going on and find a way out of it before it’s too late. It ends up being a journey that will forever change his life. Aronofsky has made some deep and engaging films. Some of his work has been a critical success, even earning Academy Award nominations and buzz. I haven’t always been taken with his films, many of which feature challenging characters and challenging content. While Caught Stealing fits the bill of challenging people in challenging situations, this film feels somewhat different. There’s a sense of whimsy to some of the action and some of the sequences that I found appealing. Butler makes for a great lead here. He carries the narrative and is in nearly every scene. He has some great interactions with the talented cast around him and you can’t help but root for Hank. It’s one of my favorite of his performances. That’s how I feel about Aronofsky here, too. I like the sense of pacing and style he brings to the film. The needle drops work well, and the sequences are well-crafted. The action works and the way the story unfolds keeps you engaged. It might well be my favorite of his films, and a heck of a way to end the slow period of August. Typically, we don’t get much to be excited about at theaters on Labor Day Weekend. But Caught Stealing is a fun ride with a good cast. It’s worth checking out.
Rating: Rated R for strong violent content, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity and brief drug use.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

The Roses (Theaters)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Coleman, and Andy Samberg
Synopsis: The other new wide release this week is an adaptation of the novel The War of the Roses, which was previously adapted as a film starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, directed by Danny DeVito. This version follows a long-married couple played by Cumberbatch and Coleman who are during a marital crisis. The film, directed by Jay Roach off a script from Tony McNamara, follows their whole relationship. We see how they met and how they married and built a life together in California. We also see as cracks begin to develop in their relationship, with frustrations often going unmentioned and simmering under the surface. All of it, eventually, leads to a blow up that nearly everyone in their life sees coming long before they do. Can they weather the storm? This is a story we’ve seen before, but it’s told in an engaging way that feels new and original here. This version is also buoyed by some great performances. Coleman and Cumberbatch are great here and play off each other brilliantly. I like the diverse supporting cast, too. I particularly enjoyed Samberg, who plays a friend and sounding board for Cumberbatch’s Theo Rose. The film has a good flow, and a nice blend of comedy and drama. It has a somewhat abrupt ending that’s true to the source material but might leave some viewers flummoxed. I thought it fit, and I thought this was one of the best rides at the theater this summer.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout, sexual content, and drug content.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

The Thursday Murder Club (Netflix)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, and Naomi Ackie
Synopsis: This new drama is based on the books by Richard Osman. It follows a group of residents at a senior living facility (Brosnan, Mirren, and Kingsley) who are amateur sleuths. They soon recruit a new resident (Imrie) to join their group as they look into suspicion deaths that are unsolved. When their facility is threatened as the owners consider selling, they rally to protest. When the owners turn up dead, they find themselves investigating an active case. They team with a local cop (Ackie) who is sympathetic to their cause to get to the bottom of it all. This is an interesting set up with a good cast and a solid mystery. It’s directed by Chris Columbus, who is best known for his work on more children’s fair like Home Alone and the first two installments of Harry Potter. He does a nice job with the film, which is an easy and engaging watch. It doesn’t maximize on its potential, but it’s a pleasant enough streaming option.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violent content/bloody images, strong language and some sexual references.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five