‘The Only Living Pickpocket In New York’ review: John Turturro impresses in stylish crime drama

Dir/scr: Noah Segan. US. 2026. 88mins

An expert thief steals from the wrong mark in The Only Living Pickpocket In New York, writer-director Noah Segan’s stylish and confident second feature. Veteran character actor John Turturro makes the most of a rare star vehicle, playing the titular criminal with immense precision. Filmed across the city’s boroughs, the thriller has a wonderful sense of place as this solitary man must rely on his savvy after one of his victims seeks deadly payback.

 John Turturro makes the most of a rare star vehicle

Premiering in Sundance before screening in Berlin, The Only Living Pickpocket will charm adult audiences craving brainy entertainment. The film is produced by T-Street, co-run by Rian Johnson, whose twisty Knives Out films (the first of which starred Segan) are spiritually similar to this cleverly conceived project. And fans of venerable New York actors will be pleased to know that Turturro stars alongside Giancarlo Esposito and Steve Buscemi, with whom he’s appeared in previous pictures.

Harry (Turturro) makes his living as a pickpocket, flawlessly lifting wallets across the city he knows so well. But at home, he cares for his beloved ailing wife Rosie (Karina Arroyave), whose severe disabilities leave her unable to move or talk. One day, Harry swipes a gym bag from Dylan (Will Price), discovering a mysterious USB stick among its contents. What he doesn’t realise is that Dylan is the son of a powerful crime family, and soon the young man tracks down Harry and threatens to harm Rosie unless Harry returns his property. Unfortunately, Harry already unloaded the stick — he only has a few hours to retrieve it before Dylan makes good on his ultimatum.

Segan, who previously helmed the 2022 horror-comedy Blood Relatives, luxuriates in the rich environment he’s constructed full of crooks, fences and cops, all of them ageing men who know their best days are behind them. Much of The Only Living Pickpocket’s pleasure derives from learning how this ecosystem works, and Turturro’s Harry is a marvelous guide. Never flashy, Harry goes about his work like a master, frequently visiting his old friend Ben (Buscemi), who runs a pawn shop, to catch up and get quick cash from his thefts. He’s also close to Warren (Esposito), a detective with whom he has a long history, their bond strong despite the many times Warren has had to arrest him.

Once Dylan finds Harry, Segan keeps the film’s tension taut, preferring nicely orchestrated suspense sequences to conventional action scenes. That choice ensures that The Only Living Pickpocket is a slick game of cat-and-mouse as Harry first tries to figure out how to find the stick and, later, what to do about the reckless Dylan.

Blessedly, Harry is not burdened by some cliched dark psychological issue that explains why he chose his life of crime. (Additionally, this is not the sort of crime-thriller in which the antihero learns he needs to change his ways.) Segan eventually provides some clues about Harry’s backstory, but it’s refreshing to be introduced to a thief who simply enjoys his occupation — and is incredibly good at it. The Only Living Pickpocket contains plenty of nice little details about the ins and outs of pickpocketing, and the film’s ring of authenticity proves as absorbing as the plot twists. Cinematographer Sam Levy gives the New York locations an evocative, lived-in quality — especially during the night scenes — which adds to the allure of this underworld tale. And Gary Lionelli’s score, with its notes of jazz and funk, only enhances the melancholy mood.

Turturro plays Harry with a weathered authority, his tired eyes suggesting that this line of work is getting far harder in a cashless, technology-driven society. (Stolen credit cards are essentially worthless, and modern cellphones are too tricky to hawk.) It’s not just Harry who’s growing old — his very profession is becoming obsolete — and Turturro and his costars deftly embody The Only Living Pickpocket’s examination of the people who get left behind during changing times.

The film’s resolution, full of double-crosses and surprise reveals, may come across as a tad convoluted, and some of what we uncover about the pickpocket’s past feels overly familiar. But Turturro’s elegant performance ensures that the story never becomes too farfetched or sentimental. Like Harry, he’s surehanded and instantly appealing, delighting viewers with his ability to get away clean.