Dope Thief follows Ray (Brian Tyree Henry), a man who is struggling to make more out of the little that he has. He tells his step-mother (who is more like his real mom) that he paints houses but really he is battling the drug war in an illegal–but more ethical–way. Together, he and his friend Manny (Wanger Moura) wear fabricated DEA jackets and bags, raid dope houses to make ends meet and hope that the drugs they take do a little good in the world. However, the chunk of change that they grab is not enough. They have people to provide for and, when an acquittance comes out of the joint, he gives Ray the idea to raid a larger house. But, when the raid goes wrong, Ray and Manny end up with more than they bargained for. Now, they have a target on their backs and a slew of undercover cops in their wake.
What immediately grabbed me was the opening scene. Dope Thief keeps it grounded with an uncomplicated heist where Ray exercises his command over a tense situation. Brian Tyree Henry does an excellent job with dialogue which allows him to display a strong sense of charisma and strength while also allowing a comedic side to come out with sharp humour as Ray talks his way out of the intense situations that he finds himself in. The show takes care to show exactly how the two go about breaking into these drug houses and is edited with a precise hand to keep the tension up. It may not be as exciting or complicated as the top action films or shows but it delivers a realistic sense of danger. (It also doesn’t hurt that 3x Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott directed the first episode.) What’s more, the first episode was also shot by Erik Messerschmidt who gives the series a cinematic look that also feels down to earth. In many ways, the series feels like an updated take on shows that have a sense of grit. (For example, its look certainly feels inspired by The Wire.
Further, Thief does an efficient job establishing these characters and their goals. Ray’s complicated past with an absent, imprisoned father, a caring and reserved stepmother who he will do anything for and a tragic death in his past all inform his current struggles in the world of drugs and crime. His character is one that I am quite invested in and you want to see him get out of this situation and make new connections.
We’ll see if this story affords him that kind of happiness but, after the first ten minutes, I was already ready for the journey.
The first two episodes of Dope Thief are available now on AppleTV+ with new episodes every Tuesday.
