There’s nothing like a good heist movie. There’s also nothing like a good government conspiracy movie. There’s also nothing like a good thriller. When you put all those three together, you get Steal. Prime Video’s latest crime thriller follows a complicated heist that affects everyone, from the average man on the street to the highest people in government.
Created by S.A. Nikias and starring Sophie Turner, the six-episode miniseries serves up twist after twist and stands as one of the strongest recent showcases of Turner’s range as an actor. While it’s not flawless, it’s an ideal binge-watch that hooks you and keeps you guessing right until the end.
Heist With Far-Reaching Consequences
The series kicks off with a literal bang as a group of thieves wearing prosthetics take over a financial firm called Lochmill Capital with guns in hand, ready to rob them blind. Lochmill Capital directly manages people’s pensions, and the thieves have an eye on that money.
They threaten Zara and her co-worker and best friend Luke to execute a transfer of £4 million from Lochmill and manage to get away before the police arrive, leaving Zara and her co-workers traumatized and left to deal with the fallout. When the police get involved, investigators immediately have their eye on Zara.
However, the truth and the motive behind the heist go far deeper than a group of people looking for a quick payday. Because of her direct involvement, Zara is dragged into an investigation that spirals out of control, even bringing in the involvement of MI-5.
While the premise of Steal is simple, the actual truth of what is going on is so convoluted that you’d need red string and a white wall to connect it all. As Zara says with each revelation, “There’s another bloody layer,” and those layers continue to reveal themselves, even in the final moments.
Sophie Turner at the Center of the Storm
Steal puts Sophie Turner at its center, and it’s a fantastic showcase that shows off her range as an actor. Zara is, to put it lightly, a mess. She’s seen by many of her co-workers as someone who doesn’t have much ambition or goals, going through the motions at Lochmill Capital before spending her weekends getting wasted and crawling back to work on Monday.
However, Zara is also clever, observant, and quick on her feet. Her ability to adapt to changing revelations in each episode, playing chess with multiple opponents, shows how much her potential is wasted at Lochmill Capital. Turner plays Zara as a perfectly exhausted office worker beaten down by endless spreadsheets and forced into a rat race she didn’t even want to participate in.
When push comes to shove, she shows her teeth. Although far from perfect, she doesn’t make the same mistake twice and demonstrates bravery and intelligence when put between a rock and a hard place. Zara is usually one step ahead, often holding the ace up her sleeve rather than forcing the viewer to scream at the screen.
A Supporting Cast That Struggles to Keep Up
While Turner is an exciting protagonist, the rest of the cast often feels lacking. Rhys is your typical dogged detective, unwilling to leave any stone unturned when it comes to understanding the robbery and its players. However, a subplot involving his mounting debt from gambling never sees strong development or a meaningful conclusion.
Though he has good chemistry with Zara, their burgeoning romance isn’t given enough time to feel significant. Compared to the mystery and Zara’s personal journey, Rhys becomes one of the least interesting characters on screen and needs more substance to match her presence.
Luke fares worse. He’s a deeply annoying character with little redeeming about him, making it hard to care about his well-being. Despite being involved in one of the biggest twists in the series, the character feels incomplete, leaving a narrative hole in his relationship with Zara by the end.
With so many players involved, it’s a weakness that only Zara truly stands out. By the end of the series, it’s hard to remember anyone of note beyond her.
A Slow Burn That Rewards Patience
Although Steal begins with a robbery, the series is a slow burn in its first half as puzzle pieces are carefully assembled. By Episode 4, everything is kicked up a notch, with nearly every moment delivering another surprise.
The risk with stories like this is convolution, and Steal occasionally flirts with that danger. Discussions about the ethical uses of money and its purpose in society lead the viewer in circles, and when the mastermind behind the heist is revealed, it doesn’t come out of nowhere—but it does feel a little too preachy and far-fetched.
Still, the experience supports the idea that it’s about the journey, not the destination. Continuously guessing who might be behind the show’s biggest conspiracy remains entertaining, even if the final revelation isn’t as satisfying as the build-up.
Final Verdict: A Satisfying Crime Thriller Binge!
As far as crime thrillers go, Steal is an easy and addictive binge. It keeps the viewer on their toes while Zara tries to uncover the truth behind a conspiracy that reaches far beyond a single robbery.
It’s far from a masterpiece, but it’s satisfying enough for crime thriller lovers and anchored by a magnetic central performance. While the supporting cast weakens the overall impact, the mystery and Turner’s performance are enough to sustain the six-episode run.
