'Steal' review: Sophie Turner stars in surprisingly engaging heist drama

WHAT IT'S ABOUT Heavily armed and highly trained thieves strike a pension management company in an elaborate heist in "Steal," a six-episode limited series on Prime Video headlined by the "Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner.

Turner plays Zara Dunne, who works processing trades at the London-based Lochmill Capital. If you don't know what processing trades means in this context, join the club, and don't worry about it. The bad guys enlist Zara and co-worker Luke Selborn (Archie Madekwe of "Midsommar" and "Saltburn") during the heist to do whatever technical thing they need to do to allow for the theft of $4 billion pounds.

The series arrives from creator Sotiris Nikias, who told the British publication RadioTimes.com that he has a background in this financial world.

MY SAY "Steal" has a generic title and premise, but it rises above those limitations thanks to several smart decisions.

It limits the heist itself to just the first episode. This isn't a retread of the "Hijack" format (the Idris Elba show now in its second season on Apple TV), where the crisis unfolds over the entire season. That allows for the drama to be constructed around the fallout from the heist, including the ways in which a key surprise that's revealed early on but won't be spoiled here complicates the picture.

Nikias and his team delve into the psychological ramifications of enduring such an event, and gradually introduce a sprawling backstory. A viewing of the first three episodes reveals a steadfast commitment to seeing the story through, without deviating into distracting subplots or other unnecessary tangents.

The same focus applies to the action scenes. They are gritty and grounded and built to fit the broader mood, rather than just trying to grab the attention of a distracted audience. Much of the second episode, for example, revolves around a character spiraling into a fit of guilt and paranoia over the course of an evening, while multiple antagonists close in on his high-rise apartment building. 

The makers tie it all together with a sort of glossy urban thriller aesthetic, in which the drama at hand feels right at home amid Lochmill Capital's shiny modern office and on the streets surrounded by towering skyscrapers.

Turner, known for playing Sansa Stark on the HBO megahit, shows herself to be adept at embodying a regular, modern person under increasing pressure. There's an art to playing stressed and scared while also emphasizing unexpected character traits that complicate the picture. 

She's compelling even when Zara lingers in the background, sneaking her way through a building lobby, or following a suspicious person in a cab. It takes a certain type of charisma to be able to carry a part like this, and to compel an audience to watch you even in the quiet moments.

BOTTOM LINE This is one of those welcome, entertaining surprises that sometimes emerge out of the streaming abyss.