The Only Living Pickpocket in New York (2026) – Review

Quick Thoughts:

1. John Turturro delivers a wonderful performance. A+ acting
2. The world needs more 88-minute movies.
3. The on-location shoot in NYC aids the film.
4. Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, Victoria Morales, Steve Buscemi, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lori Tan Chinn, and Kelvin Han Yee are wonderful.
5. Director/writer Noah Segan learned from his debut film Blood Relatives (2022), and delivered an efficient, character-driven movie.
6. If you are a pickpocket, always wipe your fingerprints off of Yoo-hoo bottles.
7. Best 2026 jackets.

Written and directed by Noah Segan, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York focuses on the complications that arise when pickpocket Harry Lehman (John Turturro) steals a backpack and wallet from a mafia-connected twentysomething (Will Price). The tech-savvy kid figures out Harry’s identity from some fingerprints left on a Yoo-hoo bottle, and after beating up his pawnshop owner friend Ben (Steve Buscemi), he (and his crew) break into Harry’s home and threaten to kill Harry and his wife Rosie (Karina Arroyave), who is bedridden and catatonic. Harry is given until 4:00PM (6ish hours) to find a USB that gives access to hundreds of thousands of cryptocurrency. What follows is a trek across the five boroughs. Harry visits herb shops, Brooklyn-based stores, and meets Detective Allan Warren (Giancarlo Esposito), a longtime friend who helps his quest.

Cinematographer Sam Levy (Frances Ha, Lady Bird) shoots it beautifully, wisely aiming the camera at Turturro’s face and letting the actor’s expressive face hold the frame. Throughout the press notes, Buscemi, Turturro, and Esposito all praise Levy, and it’s fun that he and Segan were inspired by their love of director Robert Bresson (who directed Pickpocket) to shoot an old-school thriller. Cailey Breneman’s (On the Rocks, Poker Face) costume design steals the show because she found the perfect jacket (and shoes) for Turturro to wear. The salt-and-pepper jacket is clearly expensive (and old), but it shows how well Harry takes care of his belongings. Made by luxury menswear designer Zegna, Turturro wore a similar jacket in one of their fashion shows. In fact, all the coats are great, and a couple of them receive compliments during the film.

In the press notes, Turturro mentions the “structurally tight” screenplay, and the term perfectly explains the 88-minute movie. The neat thing about Segan’s script is that despite the ticking clock, it’s never hurried, and it lets you live with Harry as he travels around the city looking for the USB drive. There’s no insane editing, Harry’s never running through the streets, and his solutions are elegant (he doesn’t bash any heads). Segan’s first film Blood Relatives had a great core idea (a vampire learns he has a half-vampire daughter) and solid performances from Segan and Victoria Morales (watch Plan B), but you could feel Segan’s screenplay weighing the film down with too many ideas and themes. With The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, he’s learned from his experiences to craft a beautiful film that allows Turturro to deliver a perfect performance.