Dope Thief Review: Brian Tyree Henry Owns Marvelous Apple TV+ Show

A charming new miniseries have landed on Apple TV+. Although the streaming service subscribers were blown away by season 2 of their retirement, they continue to offer some very impressive new content. Dope Thief Their thrilling new crime drama show starring Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Mula is all you need to grab yourself money and drugs as two friends, Ray and Manny, pretending to be a DEA agent and bust drug operation. This show answers the question of what happens when one of their busts is horribly wrong.

The first two episodes of Dope Thief, an attractive premise with better execution, are currently streaming on Apple TV+. This was an excellent show, especially about how they handle the characters. Like other exceptional television series surrounding drug-related drugs, such as Breaking Bad, Narcos and Ozark, the show is a fascinating start that promises even bigger turns in the future. The premier starts with showing Ray and Manny, and their chemistry is quickly established. We don’t know their exact history, but the way they interact with each other has years of history behind it, and performance sells every part of it.

They go to the house as DEA agents and take lots of money and drugs from people. But we soon learn that they are not who they say, and from here we are hooked. There’s a level of genius in what they’re doing, but they’re also taking money and drugs from people they shouldn’t mess with. The exciting incident comes when Ray and Manny perform a drug bust with a massive drug manipulation. The bust doesn’t work, people die and get hospitalized, leaving one important evidence. Something that could take their lives.

Ridley Scott directs the first episode. Yes, Ridley Scott is behind films like Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise. He is one of the most legendary filmmakers who have worked in Hollywood for decades, and he brings all his self to that first episode. This is a rare venture into a television director, but he brings some incredible performances from these actors. Brian Tyree Henry is one of the most trusted actors who work in film and television. From Atlanta to Spiderverse films, he is an actor that I never get bored of watching and he is truly excellent at this show.

Dope thieves are what you get when you combine unprecedented talent behind the camera, on the screen and, of course, on the page. Peter Craig is a name that many cannot recognize, but when I saw the incredible work he wrote over the past few years, it was only during further research. He accumulated writing credits for Batman, Top Gun, Maverick, Town, Bad Boys for Life and two Hunger Games movies. He creates this show and skillfully adapts Dennis Tafoya’s novels with compelling teleplay that spends a lot of time on the characters.

It’s a star vehicle for Henry. Henry plays Ray. He has been trying to get money for the women who raised him since childhood, and they have a deep emotional connection. Early on, he knows he lost someone in his youth and he still misses her to this day. On top of that, he had a tough childhood with an abusive father who suffered from addiction. He has settled down recently, but it’s not easy to stick to his drinking, especially in the face of the increasing fear and instability of his world.

Once the action begins, it is very intense. Shootout doesn’t feel like shiny Hollywood action. They are grounded and rough. Neither Ray nor Manny are murderers by trade, they both have people close to the people they care about. They are the two who find themselves on their heads in sticky situations that they build and build. The walls quickly approach as we find ourselves in the mercy of a man we are not looking at. He appears on the other end of his cell phone and walkie talkie, and he is out for blood. He is a force to consider, despite not physically appearing in the first two episodes.

Filming is also a highlight. Near the end of the second episode is a scene, a night moment in which Ray stands outside the lawyer’s office. It’s a very short scene, but in part due to the nightmare of the day Ray experienced, this moment is so beautiful. It’s a gorgeous looking scene, and the show continues to get better as Ray sits inside the office and sheds tears. Henry’s performance is spectacular. He may be interesting throughout this show, but he is usually under so much stress and to see his walls fall, it seals the first two episodes as a fierce emotional treat.

Score:9/10

As Comingsoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 corresponds to “good.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of that type. The gold standard aimed at all creators to reach.

Disclosure: Comingsoon received a screener for the Apple TV+ Dope Thief Review.