Caught Stealing

In 1998 Hank Thompson tends bar on the Lower East Side while his girlfriend Yvonne works as a paramedic. He talks with his mother about the San Francisco Giants and remains haunted by a car crash that ended his baseball career.

Russ returns to London to see his ailing father, leaving Hank to look after his cat Bud. Hank keeps his routine on the edge of trouble, wondering what the future holds.

Hank is viciously beaten by two Russian mobsters, Aleksei and Pavel, while searching for Russ. The brutal assault leaves him with a damaged kidney and a heavier entanglement in the criminals’ world.

The Russians break into Russ's apartment and leave Hank to confront the consequences. Narcotics detective Roman questions Hank and reveals Russ is a drug dealer connected to the Drucker brothers, Lipa and Shmully.

Hank discovers a key hidden in Bud's litter box. He notifies Roman when the Druckers search Russ's apartment, trying to keep the key safe from the criminals.

During a drunken night at Paul’s Bar, Hank leaves his clothes outside and is interrogated by the Russians and their Puerto Rican ally Colorado. He cannot remember what happened to the key, but the Druckers are interrupted by his neighbor Duane.

Hank leaves the injured Bud with Yvonne and recalls taking the key to the bar. He informs Colorado but then learns that Yvonne has been shot in the head.

Hank confides in Roman about the key and the danger surrounding Yvonne's murder. Colorado and the Russians arrive, in league with a corrupt Roman, but they claim not to be responsible for Yvonne's murder.

At Paul’s, Colorado kills a bar regular named Amtrak, but Roman shoots Colorado before he can kill Paul. Paul is shot dead, and Hank locks himself in the strongroom while the others leave empty-handed.

Hank retrieves the key from the homeless Jason who left it in the clothes Hank abandoned. Russ returns home, but Hank misreads him as an intruder and knocks him out; Russ explains his past in drug dealing and how Roman forced him into it.

The key opens a storage unit containing just over $4 million that was to be split among the parties. The revelation heightens fear and greed as everyone realizes the money exists and could be claimed.

Hank meets Roman and the Russians at Flushing Meadows and offers them Russ and the key in exchange for Bud. Russ panics, kills Aleksei, and they flee with Hank and Bud, escaping through a crowd at Shea Stadium onto the subway; Russ succumbs to his injuries.

Roman uses the murders to frame Hank and threatens his mother, demanding that he bring the key to the Russians' supper club. Hank warns his mother and surrenders to the Druckers, who drive him to his mother's Shabbos dinner.

Forced to drive to the club, Hank is cuffed to the van but escapes using a car lighter. He chases Pavel and disarms Roman; the Druckers shoot at him, and Hank reveals the key is hidden in Bud's leg bandage. Realizing Yvonne was murdered by the Druckers, the brothers crash the car and kill themselves while Hank survives with a share of the money.

Sometime later, Hank, posing as Russ, escapes the country with Bud and half of the money. He mails the rest of the money to his mother and arrives in Tulum to begin a new life.