Steal Review: Sophie Turner Triumphs in Wild Financial Thriller
Prime Video's gripping new six-part series Steal delivers a breathless and hugely entertaining financial heist drama that serves as both thrilling entertainment and a clever meditation on the corrupting influence of money. The show features standout performances from Sophie Turner, continuing her impressive post-Game of Thrones career, in a narrative packed with twists that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
A High-Stakes Office Invasion
The series kicks into high gear when a team of sophisticated armed villains invades the trading floor of a pension management company. Unlike typical criminals, these antagonists sport subtle prosthetics designed to fool facial recognition software, demonstrating the show's attention to modern technological details. They herd employees including Zara Dunne (Sophie Turner), her colleague Luke (Archie Madekwe), and the unfortunate Myrtle (Eloise Thomas) into a conference room while locking management separately.
After establishing their seriousness through brutal demonstrations, the criminals force Luke and Zara to execute £4 billion worth of trades, with management compelled to authorise the transactions. When Luke falters under pressure, Zara steps in to save the situation, emerging as an unexpected hero once the high-tech heist concludes and the thieves depart.
Layers of Deceit and Shifting Alliances
However, as veteran heist drama viewers might anticipate, nothing is as straightforward as it initially appears. The brilliant suspense of the opening hour culminates in a revelation that Zara herself is involved in the conspiracy. Or is she? The narrative expands as police investigation begins under DCI Rhys Kovac (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), an astute detective with his own secrets.
The story takes audiences on a wild ride through multiple layers of deception, constantly shifting alliances, and varying degrees of necessary dramatic exaggeration before delivering a satisfying conclusion. This represents the debut screenplay from writer Sotiris Nikias, who honed his craft writing crime novels under the pen name Ray Celestin, with his experience clearly benefiting the complex plotting.
Character Depth and Emotional Resonance
While Luke becomes hopelessly broken by the traumatic events, Zara demonstrates remarkable resilience rooted in her difficult upbringing with her alcoholic, volatile mother Haley. The emotionally brutal scenes between Turner and Anastasia Hille as Haley are so compelling that they could sustain an entire domestic drama on their own merits.
Turner delivers a finely calibrated performance that keeps Zara credible as a cornered terrier rather than transforming her into an unbelievable superhero. Her portrayal generates genuine audience investment in her character's survival and ultimate triumph against overwhelming odds.
Social Commentary Amid the Action
Beyond the relentless narrative momentum, Steal finds significant room for thoughtful social commentary. The series evolves into a meditation on how the love of money serves as the root of considerable evil, depicting the financial world as essentially dependent on gambling with other people's money.
The show highlights stark inequalities within corporate structures, noting that management committee members earn £1 million annually plus guaranteed bonuses, while employees like Zara and Luke receive mere fractions of that compensation. Steal suggests that such disparities inevitably breed resentment within companies and, when multiplied across society, contribute to dangerous concentrations of wealth among fewer individuals.
The series raises pertinent questions about what happens when arcane financial systems remain dominated by players focused solely on wealth extraction, leaving ordinary people increasingly vulnerable. While Zara may navigate these treacherous waters successfully, the show implicitly suggests the rest of society might need to organise for greater protection.
With its combination of thrilling heist elements, strong character development, and relevant social commentary, Steal represents compelling viewing that entertains while provoking thought about contemporary financial realities.
