There are just some actors and actresses in Hollywood who have yet to get their due. It’s like the world can come together and agree that these are phenomenal talents, some of the best we have working in the industry, yet when it comes to major awards consideration, they frequently lose out to hotter, flashier talent with better Oscar campaigns. Hopefully, at some point, they’ll break through because they’ll find themselves in the right film, with the right campaign, at the right time. Sometimes this does work out, and an actor eventually receives their first nomination after decades in the industry. When that happens, it feels like a joyous, momentous occasion, because finally, after all these years, someone is being recognized for their work. I mention this because, in full disclosure, I’ve been excited about the possibility of John Turturro finally receiving an Oscar nomination for The Only Living Pickpocket in New York ever since early word coming out of its premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival suggested he was fantastic. Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film, and I’ve been predicting Turturro in my Best Actor lineup throughout this entire awards season. So, stepping into actually discussing the film, it’s only fair to point out that I was rooting for it long before Sony Pictures Classics gave me the opportunity to see it. I always try to be incredibly open about my biases, and I would have absolutely eaten crow if the film turned out to be terrible. Luckily, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is, at the very least, a good movie. It may not be a great movie, but it features a great performance, and that’s good enough for me.
Last year, Sony Pictures Classics released Blue Moon in relatively the same time frame, a film I heard several Oscar pundits dismiss time and time again as something that wasn’t going to be in the awards conversation. It wasn’t their style, and it wasn’t traditional awards bait. Then it ended up with two Academy Award nominations, one for Ethan Hawke in Best Actor and another for Original Screenplay. Never discount the power of Sony Pictures Classics when they set their sights on something, and hopefully they’ve set their sights on getting John Turturro into that Best Actor five. Because, man, does he deserve it. What a career this man has had. I stand by my long-held belief that Turturro deserved the Supporting Actor nomination for Quiz Show over his costar Paul Scofield, which would have instantly solved this decades-long problem of him going unrecognized for his myriad of performances. From small independent dramas to blockbuster franchises, from Pixar animation to Adam Sandler comedies, Turturro has proven himself adept at disappearing into virtually any genre, any film, and any size budget. There’s a beauty in that versatility, and Quiz Show wasn’t even particularly early in his career. He had already been working for years before that performance. So now the question becomes whether The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is finally the right role at the right time.
In some ways, yes. Turturro delivers a wonderfully lived-in performance as Harry, a veteran pickpocket whose particular set of skills has become increasingly obsolete in an ever-changing world. He’s remarkably human, the kind of person you could easily meet on the street and strike up a friendship with, never realizing that he has spent most of his adult life stealing from people. There’s a certain old-school class to him, despite his chosen profession, and he’s clearly someone who has mastered his craft over decades. Unfortunately, the world isn’t quite as accommodating to pickpockets as it used to be. It’s no longer as simple as sliding your hand into someone’s pocket and pulling out a wallet full of cash. Nobody carries cash anymore. Now it’s credit cards, digital wallets, and phones that can be tracked almost immediately after they’re stolen. What’s a pickpocket supposed to do? Somehow, Harry has managed to adapt enough to keep himself afloat, maintaining an unsuspecting demeanor that allows him to blend into the crowd rather than looking like some disheveled criminal you wouldn’t want standing anywhere near you. He’s a gentleman thief, someone who still tips people in cash for helping him, while also assisting in the care of his aging mother. There’s something almost romantic about this particular brand of criminality, even though we know perfectly well that he’s making a living by taking things that don’t belong to him. He’s a man slowly disappearing as time passes him by, clinging to a profession and a way of life that the rest of the world has largely abandoned.
Of course, Harry’s career choices haven’t exactly helped his personal life. His relationship with his daughter, played by Tatiana Maslany, is fractured, and the two have become estranged. There’s a genuine sadness to this character, who seems to have spent so much time perfecting the art of taking from strangers that he hasn’t necessarily figured out how to give enough of himself to the people who actually matter. But The Only Living Pickpocket in New York isn’t simply a quiet, meditative drama about aging out of your profession, or what happens when someone working in a field that doesn’t exactly offer retirement benefits begins to lose his place in society. The film also swings into crime caper territory, with elements of a thriller, after Harry accidentally steals a flash drive containing information that is extremely important to some very dangerous people. Unfortunately, by the time he realizes what he’s gotten himself into, the item has already been fenced, leaving Harry scrambling to retrieve something he no longer possesses before the consequences become considerably worse. Suddenly, this man who has spent his entire life avoiding confrontation finds himself in a situation where his ability to remain inconspicuous may no longer be enough to protect him.
Among the ensemble of talented actors helping to push Turturro forward are Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Buscemi, incidentally, is another actor who has somehow managed to accumulate an extraordinary career without receiving an Oscar nomination. It’s an impressive supporting cast, even if none of them has enough screen time to make a particularly convincing case for awards consideration. Each contributes something worthwhile to the film, but this is unquestionably Turturro’s showcase. Interestingly, this quirky love letter to New York and its aging criminals comes from director Noah Segan, whose previous work behind the camera leaned into horror with Blood Relatives. Here, he tones things down considerably, delivering something that occasionally feels like an old-fashioned Woody Allen film, where the city itself is nearly as important as the characters inhabiting it. There’s an appreciation for New York that extends beyond simply using recognizable locations as backdrops. The film feels populated by people who have spent their entire lives in this city, watching it evolve around them, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Harry is practically a relic of another era, and Segan seems genuinely interested in exploring what happens when the world no longer has much use for someone like him.
I particularly enjoyed the jazzy score, which complements the film’s old-school atmosphere and Harry’s somewhat leisurely approach to life. However, I also found myself wishing that the music would evolve a little more as the stakes began to rise. There’s a point where the film starts shifting away from its character-driven meditation and toward something considerably more dangerous, but the score never quite rises to meet that transition. In some ways, it reminded me of another film from earlier this year, Tuner, which similarly follows a man with a very particular set of skills who finds himself pulled into a dangerous criminal situation despite not being an inherently dangerous person himself. Harry is certainly no innocent, considering he’s spent his life stealing from unsuspecting strangers, but he’s also not someone who appears particularly interested in violence or confrontation. He’s mastered the art of taking something without anyone noticing, which is a very different skill from defending yourself when someone dangerous comes looking for you. Unfortunately, Segan doesn’t quite manage to generate the tension necessary to make this transition as effective as it could have been. The danger is certainly present in the screenplay, but I never felt the urgency that should accompany Harry’s increasingly precarious situation. It’s almost as though the film is reluctant to abandon its comfortable, jazzy rhythm, even when the narrative demands something a little more aggressive.
Ultimately, I enjoyed last year’s Blue Moon more than The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for a dismissal of this film. I thought Blue Moon was pretty exceptional, with Richard Linklater’s direction and Robert Kaplow’s wonderfully snappy dialogue coming together to create something that felt nearly perfect for what it was trying to accomplish. Pickpocket doesn’t quite reach those heights. It’s a film driven largely by Turturro’s excellent performance, supported by a terrific ensemble, but the direction doesn’t always match the material as it begins introducing more conventional thriller elements. I can absolutely see where some people won’t connect with this film, particularly those expecting something more exciting from its criminal premise. At the same time, I can imagine others falling completely in love with it, especially those who relate to Harry’s struggle to remain relevant in a world that seems determined to leave him behind. Fans of acting, in particular, should find plenty to appreciate. Turturro is very much an actor’s actor, someone who can make the smallest gestures and quietest moments feel meaningful without ever seeming to demand our attention. In that respect, this reminds me a little of Bill Nighy’s performance in Living, another Sony Pictures Classics release that successfully translated a quiet, deeply human performance into an Academy Award nomination.
Is this John Turturro’s best performance? No, I wouldn’t necessarily go that far. But does it need to be? The comparison I keep coming back to is Al Pacino finally winning his Oscar for Scent of a Woman. Some people remain upset that Pacino won for that particular performance when he’d delivered arguably superior work throughout his career. But part of the reason that victory was so meaningful was because he was long overdue. Now imagine if Scent of a Woman had also been Pacino’s very first nomination. Suddenly, that recognition would feel even more necessary, as though a great wrong were finally being righted. Turturro may not have quite the same résumé as Pacino, but he’s spent decades accumulating wonderful performances, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to justify his continued absence from the Academy’s acting nominations. There’s something especially satisfying about the possibility of an actor receiving recognition for a performance that doesn’t rely on dramatic transformations, elaborate makeup, or grand theatrical speeches. Harry is simply a man trying to get through another day, and Turturro makes that feel worthy of our attention.
We also came remarkably close to having a full-blown Big Lebowski reunion in this year’s awards conversation. Technically, we still could. If Turturro manages to secure his nomination here, he could find himself alongside fellow Big Lebowski alumni John Goodman, who has Digger, Steve Buscemi, who appears in both this film and Wild Horse Nine, and Julianne Moore, who stars in The Debut. That’s an impressive collection of talent from one film potentially circling the Oscars in the same year. Man, if only Tara Reid had finally been given that one career-changing role, we could really have something special going on. But I digress. The point is that Turturro has been part of so many memorable films and ensembles over the years that his absence from the Academy’s acting history feels increasingly ridiculous. Whether this particular performance ultimately gets him there remains to be seen, but I certainly hope Sony Pictures Classics gives him the campaign he deserves.
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a mostly thoughtful meditation on aging, obsolescence, and the technological revolution that continues to reshape professions both legitimate and otherwise. It asks what happens when the world changes faster than someone is willing or able to change with it, and whether there’s still room for an old-fashioned gentleman thief in a society that has largely eliminated the things he once knew how to steal. The film isn’t entirely successful when it introduces a greater sense of urgency and danger, and I wish Segan had found a more effective way to bridge the gap between its quieter character study and its increasingly suspenseful criminal predicament. But even when the film struggles to find that balance, Turturro never does. He understands Harry completely, and there’s something wonderfully appropriate about an actor who has spent decades being overlooked playing a man who has spent decades making a living by going unnoticed. The difference is that Harry wants to disappear into the crowd, while I’m hoping that this time, the Academy finally notices John Turturro.
Fresh: 7.3/10
