Harry Lehman does not own a mobile phone. He lives in the Bronx, cares for a wife who can no longer speak, and makes his living the old-fashioned way: by lifting wallets from strangers. In a city that now runs on smartphones, cameras and crypto, he is, as the title says, the only living pickpocket in New York.
Writer-director Noah Segan’s second feature is a small, warm and quietly moving crime story built around a superb John Turturro. It wears its love of 1970s New York cinema on its sleeve, and it is all the better for it.
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a graceful, bittersweet love letter to an old-school thief and his city.
Movie at a Glance
- UK and Ireland release: Not yet announced
- US cinemas: 23 October 2026 (New York and Los Angeles), expanding nationwide 30 October
- Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Director and writer: Noah Segan
- Starring: John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, Steve Buscemi and Jamie Lee Curtis
- Cinematography: Sam Levy
- Music: Gary Lionelli
- Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
- Genre: Crime drama
Viewer Match
- Best for: John Turturro admirers, lovers of 1970s New York crime films and anyone who enjoys a character study with a ticking clock.
- Maybe skip if: You want a hard-edged, violent thriller or a twist that truly blindsides you.
- Mood and pace: Gentle, nostalgic and steadily tense, with plenty of dry humour.
- Cinema or streaming? Either. It is a small film that will play beautifully at home when it reaches the UK.
- Spoiler level: Spoiler-free: only the opening set-up.
One Wallet Too Many
One evening Harry picks the wrong pocket. Among the loot taken from a cocky young man (Will Price) is a small USB device that neither Harry nor his fence understands, and its owner turns out to have very dangerous connections. Before long Harry has a deadline, a threat hanging over his home, and a city full of old friends who may or may not help him.
Segan keeps it tight: at 88 minutes, the film moves briskly across the boroughs as Harry calls in favours from a pawnbroker (Steve Buscemi), a detective (Giancarlo Esposito) and others from his past.
Turturro’s Finest Hour
This is Turturro’s film, and he is wonderful in it. His Harry is precise, weary and quietly proud, a craftsman whose skills are becoming obsolete, and the actor plays him with tenderness rather than self-pity. The pickpocketing sequences are a joy to watch, built on sleight of hand rather than flashy editing.
The supporting cast is a who’s who of New York character actors. Buscemi and Esposito are both excellent, Tatiana Maslany brings sharp edges, and Jamie Lee Curtis makes a vivid impression.
Analogue Man, Digital City
Underneath the caper is a gentle reflection on ageing and change: a man who still uses payphones navigating a world of trackers, cameras and passwords. Sam Levy’s cinematography gives the city a grainy, lived-in glow that recalls the great New York films of the 1970s.
The nostalgia occasionally tips into sentimentality, and the ending is a touch too neat for some tastes. But it is hard to begrudge a film this warm-hearted and this well acted.
Spoiler-Free Verdict
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a graceful, bittersweet crime drama with John Turturro giving one of the best performances of his career. Its nostalgia sometimes slips into sentiment, but this is a confident, moving and very entertaining portrait of an old-school thief in a city that has moved on.
- Performances: 9/10
- Direction: 8/10
- Screenplay: 7.5/10
- Score: 7/10
- Cinematography: 8.5/10
- Entertainment Value: 8.5/10
- Overall score: 8.5/10
Star rating: 4/5
Verdict badge: Worth Seeing
One-line verdict: A lean, lovely New York tale that lets John Turturro steal every scene.
Watch the Official Trailer
The official trailer may reveal more than this spoiler-free review.
Which classic New York crime film would make the perfect double bill with this one? Let Movieversalfilm know.