Few actors make us instantly intrigued by a project like Brian Tyree Henry. The Oscar, Tony, and Emmy-nominated actor continues to showcase his brilliance, regardless of the medium. Dope Thief, a new series for Apple TV+, requires his full charisma to work, and he once again throws a genre show on his back. With Henry leading Dope Thief, the series can allow its other characters to take big swings. Even if some are unsuccessful, the crime drama emits a surprising grit and mood that cannot be ignored.
Dope Thief – The Plot
Lifelong friends Ray Driscoll (Henry) and Manny Carvalho (Wagner Moura) have found a scheme to steal money from drug dealers with few repercussions. By posing as DEA agents, they can rob the dealers and walk out with the money, all while knowing the dealers cannot go to the police to investigate. The plan goes well for a while until looping in a third member leads to a shootout and death. This draws the attention of the police (Amir Arison, Marin, Ireland). Worse yet, it draws in far more dangerous gangsters who want to kill Ray, Manny, and everyone they know.
Brian Tyree Henry’s brilliance drives the show.
Dope Thief could easily feel like a genuine two-hander with the setup around two friends. However, with some plot complications, Moura disappears from the story for periods. This puts extra pressure on Henry to carry the story while continually pushing forward the narrative. At the same time, he helps marry tones that might not work otherwise. Despite a gritty color palette and dark beats (including some gnarly animal executions), Dope Thief finds ways to land comedic beats. Life is never all good or all trauma, and Dope Thief can navigate these tones thanks to Henry’s performance.
Additionally, the emotion he pours into the quiet moments helps connect us to Ray. Henry once took over If Beale Street Could Talk in a single scene, allowing his eyes to tell us everything we needed to know about his character. Dope Thief is similar, with Henry’s Ray needing to be open and honest about his fears for his friends and family. As he makes those emotions known, often through subtle acting choices, we also connect with his co-stars.
Ray is the focus of most of Dope Thief, and as an ex-con, we spend time with some unusual characters. This means we spend a lot of time with his family, including an excellent Kate Mulgrew and Ving Rhames. Both actors bring unique performances into the series and help balance out the overarching Dope Thief experience. Additionally, a relationship with Nesta Cooper reveals how Ray’s life could be different. Unfortunately, it’s hard to break cycles of violence in America, and the systemic ways we end up making similar mistakes as our parents is a powerful message.
Meanwhile, the Marin Ireland storyline is an excellent use of an indie actress in a wildly unique role. Ireland provides the story with its initial burst of violence, but shortly afterward becomes an interesting juxtaposition to Henry. She is both someone who wants revenge, and someone looking for justice. That dichotomy means that her avenues to restore her life into balance may come from outside her job, and that struggle leads to some curious moments in Dope Thief.
Dope Thief runs a bit too long and is a little too predictable.
At the same time, Dope Thief suffers from being a little too long. The eight-episode season is not the issue, but every episode could lose ten to fifteen minutes. Even as most episodes come in under fifty minutes, there’s a repetitive nature to the story that wears on the viewer. On a week-to-week watching schedule, this might feel more meditative, but for binge-watching the show, it’s not ideal.
Additionally, we lose some of the excitement because much of Dope Thief feels predictable, especially over the first five. While some unique aspects of the closing episodes of Dope Thief make up for these flaws, the predictable sequences make the characters feel less exciting as protagonists. Instead of learning new things about them, the same issues cycle through our minds, which, in turn, hurts the writing.
Is Dope Thief worth watching?
If you’re a fan of crime dramas, the Philly-based Dope Thief is right up your alley. Henry delivers another brilliantly subtle and emotional performance, elevating some of the series’ complicated tones. While Dope Thief is somewhat dark and predictable, it’s a curious experience that should easily find its audience.
Watch Dope Thief on Apple TV+ today. The series airs new episodes on Fridays.
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