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John Turturro Stars in 'The Only Living Pickpocket in New York'
Confirmed
In Short: The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, starring John Turturro as Harry, a 69-year-old pickpocket, premiered at the 35th Philadelphia Film Festival on October 15.
Harry, who has not adapted to modern technology, lives in a shabby apartment in the Bronx and deals only in cash, with a CD tower in his home.
The film features a cast including Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito, who play Harry's fence and a police detective, respectively.
The movie's soundtrack includes LCD Soundsystem’s “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down,” which sets a melancholic tone for the film.
Harry’s world is challenged by the rise of modern technology, as smartphones and watches now come with built-in trackers designed to prevent theft.
John Turturro’s performance as Harry is described as magnificent, showcasing his multigenerational talent.
The film opens on 20 screens nationally, including in New York and Los Angeles, beginning October 23, and will go wide on October 30.
The plot revolves around Harry’s mission to reclaim a stolen item after a theft goes awry, blending a modern New York with a 1970s aesthetic.
The film’s score, reminiscent of James Brown’s funk era, establishes a tough, rhythmic tone that moves through the city’s streets and subway stops.
Harry’s inability to understand the modern world is evident when he steals a duffel bag and finds a USB stick, mistaking it for a credit card.
The film is set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing New York City, where old-school thieves like Harry struggle to survive in a cashless society.
Background
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a 2026 American crime thriller film written and directed by Noah Segan. It stars John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, and Steve Buscemi.
What's confirmed
- Harry, who has not adapted to modern technology, lives in a shabby apartment in the Bronx and deals only in cash, with a CD tower in his home.
- The film features a cast including Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito, who play Harry's fence and a police detective, respectively.
- The movie's soundtrack includes LCD Soundsystem’s “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down,” which sets a melancholic tone for the film.
- Harry’s world is challenged by the rise of modern technology, as smartphones and watches now come with built-in trackers designed to prevent theft.
- John Turturro’s performance as Harry is described as magnificent, showcasing his multigenerational talent.
- The film opens on 20 screens nationally, including in New York and Los Angeles, beginning October 23, and will go wide on October 30.
- The plot revolves around Harry’s mission to reclaim a stolen item after a theft goes awry, blending a modern New York with a 1970s aesthetic.
- The film’s score, reminiscent of James Brown’s funk era, establishes a tough, rhythmic tone that moves through the city’s streets and subway stops.
- Harry’s inability to understand the modern world is evident when he steals a duffel bag and finds a USB stick, mistaking it for a credit card.
- The film is set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing New York City, where old-school thieves like Harry struggle to survive in a cashless society.
What's still developing
- If you can get past the fact that the Philadelphia Film Festival opened with a movie that is as New York as you can get, its 35th edition started with a bang on October 15: The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.
- The 69-year-old Turturro plays Harry, a small-time criminal still in the old-timey trade of pickpocketing.
- The soundtrack also features plenty of New York-centric songs, though oddly enough, not “The Only Living Boy in New York” by Simon and Garfunkel.
- At 91% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, see Deadline review.
- Mann, who had returned home after 16 years in exile in the U.S., faced not only a divided fatherland but also a deep fracture within his own family.
- Segan has made a remarkable improvement with The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, elevating himself from yet another passing actor-turned-director to someone whose behind-the-camera skill is developing promisingly.
- LCD Soundsystem’s melancholy requiem “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” opens Noah Segan’s The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, and seldom have a song and movie been paired better.
- If you need one more reason to classify Turturro as a multigenerational talent, it's The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.
- While the “crypto bro” is fast becoming an overused trope in any crime movie that dabbles in the cryptocurrency realm, Segan’s script brilliantly blends a modern day New York with a 1970s style aesthetic to portray the world Harry is clearly still living in.
- Noah Segan, in his latest feature, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, has taken on a nearly impossible task: make a New York crime thriller feel fresh and interesting without treading the familiar ground countless movies within the genre have already covered.
- This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. [Editor’s note: This review was originally published on January 28, 2026 at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
- This Sundance-premiering indie drama stars John Turturro in a controlled, assured performance as Harry Lehman, an old-school pickpocket shaped by decades on New York’s streets.