‘The Only Living Pickpocket in New York’ is a Quiet, Compelling Showcase for John Turturro [REVIEW]

Sometimes you just gotta get a bunch of acting legends in a film to show everyone how it’s done. 

Another Reason to Love John Turturro

“The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” isn’t a very complicated film. It’s straightforward, doesn’t try to trick its audience, and is a little thin plot-wise. That’s not what makes it worth the watch. It’s the acting; the performance that John Turturro puts on as Harry Lehman, an old pickpocket aging out of the game.

Written and directed by Noah Segan, “Only Living Pickpocket” feels like any other movie about the middle and lower classes of New York City. Truthfully, I wasn’t that enticed by the description of the film itself, but the second Turturro pops up on screen, all five senses immediately lock in. It’s hard to take your eyes off him when he’s doing his thing, that’s how compelling of an actor he is.

He breathes life into a character that, on paper, is a nobody with an uninteresting story. But through Turturro’s performance we learn how deeply he loves his wife, how devoted he is to her taking care of her because she can’t do it herself. He still dances with her and plays music for her, there’s so much love and she can’t process any of it. Every time Harry exposes his heart underneath the beleaguered thief, the audience gets an opportunity to fall in love with him even more.

A Wildly Exceptional Cast

The cast of this largely unassuming film is surprisingly strong with incredible performances that measure up to the lead actor’s talent. Giancarlo Esposito plays Detective Allan Warren that Harry has a longstanding good relationship with. The two veterans have easy chemistry that felt like old friends and the story rewards that at the end of the film. 

There’s also Steve Buscemi as Ben, which helped to add layers to Harry’s character. The wildest thing about this film is how they have legends in the most humble roles, doing what they do for like a few minutes of screen time. That includes Jamie Lee Curtis, who also just randomly appears out of absolutely nowhere. Normally, I’m not a fan of a “reveal’ relying solely on the audience knowing who the person is, but it worked here; it gave purpose to why she showed up in the first place.

Tatiana Maslany as Harry’s daughter, Kelly, was the key, though; the real heart of it all. The entire time the story builds him up as this pretty dope ass pickpocket, who problem-solves at the drop of a hat, knows everyone, and has lived a storied, intriguing life. Meeting Kelly is like a cold splash of water to the face. His relationship with her humanizes him in a way that’s needed for the story to carry some weight. 

Of course, he’s a shitty dad, who gambled away her college fund. His fascinating past came with a steep price: the cost of his family. No amount of rebuilding with his current wife, Rosie, and taking care of her can wash away the sins of being a failed father and partner. Their singular scene is the standout of the entire film, a gut punch that helps fuel the rest of the story.

Lacking Some Urgency, But Narratively Pleasing

I’ve been heavily complimentary of the performances thus far because, honestly, without this cast this movie would be unspecial. The director/writer wanted to say something about people becoming relics as time and technology keep moving along, where a person can seek redemption even though there’s no one around to give it. It also feels like a “miss you” letter to New York City, there’s a lot of nostalgia laced throughout it.

The score was a highlight, moving right alongside Harry’s wins and fears. It helped with the pacing, as the story started to meander just slightly trying to get from point A to point B. The overall threat was incredibly low stakes, with the bad guys being just dumb frat dudes with powerful family members. Even in the end, with Harry still winning, this story was more about his last chapter than the challenge he overcame (pretty easily).

At CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas, we got to see a clip of Harry trapping a younger pickpocket on the subway to teach him a friendly lesson, which gave us the vibe that this film was more of a fast-paced, fast-talking thriller. It really isn’t that, though, it’s sweeter, more heartfelt. It turns out the “only living pickpocket” wasn’t Harry after all.

Final Thoughts

“The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” doesn’t have to be much more than it is, a feel-good film about a pickpocket outsmarting a crime family, trying to finally prioritize his family, and mean something to someone. Turturro gives Harry a quiet strength and humanity, while also being kind of cool as hell in his tweed peacoat. There’s something gorgeous Segan directs at the end of the film that includes a final look at Harry’s face. It really was a beautiful note to New York City, even if it didn’t have a lot going on plot-wise.