NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 03: John Turturro attends the premiere of "A Statement" during the 64th New York Film Festival

John Turturro Stars as Ageing Pickpocket in ‘The Only Living Pickpocket in New York

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Veteran actor John Turturro stars as an aging pickpocket in Noah Segan’s crime drama The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, premiering at festivals ahead of a theater release on October 23, 2026. The film follows a street-hustler trying to survive a digital-wallet world while protecting his disabled wife from a dangerous crime family.

John Turturro Stars as Harry Lehman in New York

John Turturro takes on the lead role of Harry Lehman, an analog pickpocket operating in an increasingly digital metropolis where cash has largely vanished from circulation. Written and directed by Noah Segan, the film captures a demonstrably changed Big Apple where older street operators find themselves out of step with modern tech.

THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK | Official Trailer (2026)

Between subway grifting, Harry cares for his bedridden wife in between stops stealing people’s watches. The crime thriller was directed and written by Noah Segan, with a cast featuring Giancarlo Esposito, Steve Buscemi, and Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, Victoria Moroles, and Karina Arroyave.

Turturro was drawn to his role because of its humanity, describing the project as a story about a man struggling to survive through a changing world. The feature carries an MPAA rating of R and runs for 1 hour and 28 minutes.

Noah Segan, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito & More on The Only Living Pickpocket in New York

A Chase Across the Five Boroughs

Unfolding mostly within a single day, the narrative travels from the Bronx to Manhattan’s Chinatown before moving on to Queens and looping back, highlighting both the vast scale of the metropolis and Harry’s profound isolation as his troubles mount. Blending his criminal hustles with deep care for his incapacitated wife creates a melancholy and poignant slice-of-life picture.

While traditional pickpockets still operate on the subway lines, tech-savvy young cyber-thieves represent the new wave, leading to a running gag in which Harry and his partner Ben frequently gripe about modern technology and their struggles to master it. The film balances tenderness against tension within a 36-hour thriller structure.

The only living pickpocket in york
Photo: theepochtimes.com

Noah Segan Directs a New York Crime Story

Director Noah Segan originally made his feature directorial debut with the vampire movie Blood Relatives before returning to the Sundance Film Festival to premiere his second feature. At a press conference, Segan recalled his surprise at assembling such a notable cast.

I never dreamed in my wildest dreams that these actors would be in this movie—I thought we were going to make it for $8 on the street and grab some guy like, ‘You’re gonna be the pickpocket!’

Noah Segan, writer and director, via Straight

Segan is a veteran actor who previously crammed into a car with the team behind Brick in 2005 to drive from Los Angeles to Park City, handing out fliers on Main Street to drum up an audience. In the years that followed, Segan turned up in nearly every Rian Johnson film, from a meaty role in Looper to a cameo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and scene-stealing appearances in all three Knives Out mysteries. Rian Johnson serves as an executive producer on the picture.

The production utilized a pickpocket consultant on set whose hands are like a concert, allowing Turturro to pick up a couple of tips during filming. Turturro re-teams here with Do the Right Thing cast member Giancarlo Esposito, continuing a legendary career that spans iconic roles like Jesus Quintana in The Big Lebowski, Pino in Do the Right Thing, the playwright in Barton Fink, the forlorn lawyer in The Night Of, and Irving Bailiff in Severance.

Festival Screenings Ahead of October Release

Critics note that the feature has the sadness of movies like The Friends Of Eddie Coyle and Fat City, presenting Turturro as a pitch-perfect underdog back in the mix for one last job. The project stands as a tribute to New York’s toughness and a love letter to the city, leading to the theatrical debut on October 23, 2026.

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THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK with Noah Segan, John Turturro, and more | TIFF 2026
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