What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedPickpocket
Robert Bresson · Film · 1959
If you loved Pickpocket, start with Crime and Punishment (Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevskii, 1968) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 1 podcast, each matched to Pickpocket across media.
You were drawn into Pickpocket by the haunting intersection of criminal compulsion and the profound, isolating weight of an individual's moral conscience.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
Crime and Punishment
Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevskii · Book · 1968
Shares a thread with Pickpocket: Redemption.
Like Michel in Pickpocket, Raskolnikov struggles with the psychological burden of his actions, exploring the same intense collision between individual will and the inevitable pursuit of guilt and redemption.
The Stranger (L'Étranger)
Albert Camus · Book · 1942
Shares 2 threads with Pickpocket: Alienation, Moral Ambiguity.
If the detached, existential alienation of Pickpocket resonated with you, this narrative captures that same chilling indifference and the absurdity of a man caught in a senseless criminal act.
Les Miserables. Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo · Book · 2012
Shares a thread with Pickpocket: Redemption.
This classic mirrors the central journey of Pickpocket, focusing on an ex-convict’s arduous attempt to redefine his life and seek redemption while constantly shadowed by the failures of his past.
Psycho
Robert Bloch · Book · 1959
Shares a thread with Pickpocket: Obsession.
The intense focus on obsession and isolation found in Pickpocket is mirrored here, as the narrative examines the fractured mental state of a man driven by hidden, dark impulses.
Series on the same thread
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Series · 1989
Explores: solving crimes, upper-class society, eccentric detective.
While this offers a more structured puzzle than Pickpocket, you will appreciate the meticulous focus on the mechanics of crime and the intellectual game between detective and subject.
Better Call Saul
Vince Gilligan · Series · 2015
Shares 2 threads with Pickpocket: Moral Ambiguity, Redemption.
This character study echoes the moral ambiguity of Pickpocket, tracing a flawed protagonist's gradual transformation as he navigates the thin line between legal necessity and his own criminal impulses.
Fingersmith
Aisling Walsh · Series · 2005
Explores: class deception, female relationships, forbidden love.
Fans of Pickpocket will recognize the central tension of a thief operating within a social web, where the act of stealing becomes a complex dance of deception and class dynamics.
Peaky Blinders
Steven Knight · Series · 2013
Shares a thread with Pickpocket: Moral Ambiguity.
Much like the protagonist of Pickpocket, the characters here exist on the fringes of society, driven by a restless ambition that inevitably forces them into a cycle of crime.
Podcasts on the same thread
Criminal
Podcast
Shares a thread with Pickpocket: Redemption.
This podcast explores the same human complexities found in Pickpocket, stripping away the spectacle of crime to focus on the raw, often uncomfortable realities of those caught in the middle.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Pickpocket based on the book Crime and Punishment?
While Pickpocket shares thematic similarities with the 1968 edition of Crime and Punishment, the film is an original work by Robert Bresson. It follows the story of Michel, a man who turns to theft after his mother passes away and struggles to balance his life between crime and conventional employment.
Does Michel stop stealing in Pickpocket?
In Pickpocket, Michel attempts to find a straight job after his release from prison, but he struggles with the temptation to steal. Despite the concerns expressed by his friend Jacques and his mother's neighbor Jeanne, Michel continues to refine his craft alongside a group of petty thieves while being watched.
What happens to Michel after he is arrested in Pickpocket?
After his initial arrest in Pickpocket, Michel is released and faces the death of his mother. He subsequently chooses to improve his skills as a thief by working with two other criminals. He remains under the scrutiny of a police inspector throughout his attempts to lead a double life.
How does Jacques influence the plot of Pickpocket?
Jacques acts as the only friend to Michel in Pickpocket. He consistently objects to the criminal lifestyle Michel chooses to pursue after his release from prison. His presence serves as a moral counterpoint to the influence of the petty thieves who encourage Michel to continue stealing despite police surveillance.