Short Description: Sophie Turner stars in Prime Video’s slick but derivative heist thriller “Steal,” where a multi-billion-pound pension fund robbery leads to a labyrinth of financial corruption and conspiracy.
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Main Article
Prime Video’s new six-part series “Steal” attempts to join the ranks of elite streaming thrillers with a plot ripped from modern financial headlines. The show kicks off with a high-stakes pension fund robbery, as a team of well-armed thieves storms London’s Lochmill Capital and forces employees to digitally transfer over £4 billion from client accounts. The crime immediately establishes the series’ core tension: this is no mere bank job, but a financial thriller targeting the life savings of the working and middle class. While the slickly produced opening heist scene features all the genre staples—techno score, tactical gear, menacing threats—it feels like a collage of moments from superior shows like “Money Heist” and “The Night Manager.”
The series finds its compelling center not in the generic criminals, but in Sophie Turner’s standout performance as Zara, a hungover and discontented junior analyst caught in the robbery’s crosshairs. Zara’s subsequent, perilous solo investigation drives the narrative, pulling her into a murky world of financial subterfuge involving cold wallets, corrupt billionaires, and state-level conspiracies alongside DCI Rhys Covac (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd). The plot diligently unpacks the mechanics of digital finance and betrayal, though it often bogs down in exposition. While the twists and cloak-and-dagger sequences are competently executed, the ultimate conspiracy and character motivations can feel engineered, weakening the impact of an otherwise tense narrative.
Ultimately, “Steal” is a well-acted and professionally crafted series that struggles to distinguish itself in a crowded field. Its greatest asset is Turner’s raw and messy portrayal of Zara, a uniquely empathetic anchor in a story filled with thinly-sketched villains. For viewers keen on financial thriller mechanics and corporate crime dramas, it offers a serviceable, if familiar, binge. However, its convoluted plot and derivative elements prevent it from truly stealing the spotlight.
Short Summary
Prime Video’s “Steal” is a competent but familiar entry in the financial thriller genre, anchored by a compelling lead performance from Sophie Turner. While the pension fund robbery premise and exploration of digital financial subterfuge are timely, the series often feels derivative and convoluted. It’s a watchable dive into corporate crime that ultimately plays it too safe to be truly memorable.
