Thieves review: Darren Aronofsky’s film bets on chaos, but only kicks into gear in the final act

You can understand that Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) has problems in the first few minutes of Thieves. Between bottles of alcohol scattered around the apartment, recurring nightmares of a brutal accident and an aimless life, director Darren Aronofsky makes everything evident right from the start.

The film adapts the novel by Charlie Huston – also the author of the script –, but the transposition of this initial exposition to the cinema is difficult, especially when the narrative insists on underlining each point, instead of letting it emerge organically.

The production recreates a 1998 New York with texture and personality, from the costumes to the locations. Still, the exaggerated way in which important moments are presented makes the story seem disjointed. Only in the final act does Aronofsky finally manage to stitch together the loose pieces and show the film he seemed to be trying to make from the beginning.

The journey there is turbulent – ​​and grotesque. Blood, guts, bones, vomit, feces, urine and even the emergency removal of an organ make up Hank’s journey. Although the director is known for delving into discomfort, Thieves it only truly works when it embraces the dark humor and absurdity that has always been lurking within. This is where the film finds its identity.

A protagonist lost in his own disaster

At first, Hank’s life seems relatively stable: he works as a bartender, has an undefined relationship with Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz) and passionately follows his San Francisco Giants – something reinforced by caps, flags, posters and the traditional “Go, Giants!” in connections with his mother. But everything changes when his punk neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to look after his cat while he travels.

The harmless task turns into a nightmare when thugs break into the building in search of something mysterious hidden in Russ’s apartment. In a fight with no clear meaning, Hank loses a kidney – and the film momentarily loses its direction. The question that hammers the entire plot, “why doesn’t he just deliver what the criminals want?”, never finds an answer other than a vague “he won’t”.

A partir daí, Hank mergulha em uma espiral de violência e perseguição pelo submundo do centro de Nova York. The strength of the film, however, lies in the supporting cast: Griffin Dunne, Carol Kane, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Regina King, Vincent D’Onofrio and other names give brightness and energy to the scenes, compensating for Butler’s more restrained, although competent, leading role.

Dark humor, performance and an ending that almost saves everything

This gallery of supporting actors also reinforces the film’s most interesting theme: the nature of performance. Is Hank just a misfit alcoholic or is he acting out something deeper? Why do we see others only as representations – “the policeman”, “the gangster”, “the Yiddish mobsters”? Who is playing a role and who surprises by revealing something genuine?

Still, the irregularity persists. The tension between escalating brutality and physical jokes, like the fact that alcoholic Hank suddenly can’t drink anymore, rarely finds balance. Only in the final act do the ideas align, the risks add up and the film shows the vigor it promised from the beginning.

Thieves ends up close to hitting the nail on the head, but, as in the sporting metaphor that permeates the story, it lacks the power to mark the decisive point.

The film is available on HBO Max.

Use: 2 out of 5 stars