John Turturro Stars in Noa Segan's Debut Film

John Turturro plays Harry Lehman, an aging career criminal who works the streets and subways of New York City. In Noah Segan's directorial debut, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, Lehman specializes in lifting wallets and smartphones from commuters. The film runs 88 minutes and tracks Lehman's final job, which ends with him stealing a card that holds a USB stick.

Lehman picks the item from Dylan, a young man who parks a restored 1969 Plymouth Barracuda near him. Lehman takes the wallet and the card but does not know what the device is. His fence, Ben, played by Steve Buscemi, also lacks knowledge of the item's value. Dylan and his associates raid Ben's pawnshop in the Bronx, beating Ben badly to retrieve the property.

The card serves as an electronic key to a cryptocurrency account holding almost $1 million. Dylan locates Lehman and gives him just over four hours to return the key. If Lehman fails, Dylan will kill Lehman's catatonic wife, played by Karina Arroyave. This deadline drives the plot as Lehman moves from Manhattan to Queens and back to his apartment in the Bronx.

Segan, an actor who has appeared in nearly every film directed by Rian Johnson, wrote and directed this feature. The camera often frames the action from Lehman's perspective. One scene shows Lehman breaking into a locked storage room at a secondhand electronics shop. Despite not understanding the card's function, he finds it quickly among the clutter. The film also features Giancarlo Esposito as an NYPD detective who acts as a friendly adversary to Lehman.

The narrative includes a visit from Lehman's estranged daughter, played by Tatiana Maslany. The story concludes with a flashback to one of Lehman's previous heists. This sequence allows Lehman to accept his fate. In the present timeline, he meets Dylan's grandmother and a mafia boss, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Gary Lionelli composed the jazz score for the film. The music pairs with Turturro's performance to depict a skilled man whose career is ending. The movie presents a low-budget caper that focuses on the mechanics of the theft and the physical decline of its protagonist.

The cast includes Will Price as Dylan and Steve Buscemi as Ben. The film moves through specific New York locations, including Chinatown and the Bronx. It serves as the first feature written and directed by Segan.