Dope Thief Review

The first two episodes of Dope Thief are now streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes debut Fridays through April 25.

Based on the 2009 novel by Dennis Tafoya, Dope Thief does an amazing job depicting the aftermath of a heist gone wrong. When best friends Ray (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny (Wagner Moura) decide to rob a large-scale drug lab, they can’t anticipate their plan (and the lab) going up in smoke. The signs are there though, and this captivating, often thrilling Apple TV+ drama does a great job of laying them out: This isn’t Ray and Manny’s first time posing as DEA agents in order to “confiscate” illegal goods, but they’ve never worked with an unvetted third party before as they do here. With a doped-up new recruit, itchy trigger fingers, and some highly volatile substances in the mix, the fiery outcome is predictable to a fault. And yet, the chaos that follows this explosive blunder still manages to deliver some exciting twists and turns across Dope Thief’s eight episodes – the first of which is directed by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott.

Being pursued by real DEA agents as well as the gang they stole from constantly places Ray and Manny in dangerous situations. A vehicle with tinted windows slowly patrolling Ray’s neighborhood adds some suspense, but it’s the menacing voice over a two-way radio threatening his family and friends that’s truly nerve-racking. The same is true when Manny discovers the remains of a torture victim, with evidence suggesting that their killer is still at large and in the vicinity. As the stakes escalate, so do the duo’s worries. The mounting tension never becomes exhausting though: The uneasy atmosphere usually leads to a surprising reveal or some violent encounter or other. At one point, a thrilling foot chase ends with a character trying to sidestep a truck, only to be ground up as they’re repeatedly spun against a nearby wall.

Within Dope Thief’s fresh spin on crime-drama conventions, Brian Tyree Henry delivers an outstanding portrayal of a two-bit criminal. Burdened by his troubled past, Ray struggles to keep it together while dealing with the ramifications of his actions. As much as he’d like to give up – on his sobriety, his dreams, and at times his life – he knows that there are people counting on him. So he puts on a tough façade as he tries to fix everyone’s problems. Henry captures this inner turmoil with convincing displays of emotion, like his heart-wrenching line delivery upon learning about the death of a loved one. It’s one of the acclaimed actor’s best performances to date.

The rest of the cast doesn’t lag far behind him. Moura does a great job as Manny, his sullen demeanor and gaunt appearance conveying both the guilt of a lifelong Catholic-turned-brief-criminal and the character’s heavy drug use. It’s when Moura plays opposite Henry, however, that he’s most convincing. He’s always engaged and seemingly willing to match Henry’s energy in a way that makes Ray and Manny’s friendship feel genuine. Marin Ireland and Nesta Cooper’s portrayals of, respectively, an undercover agent and defense attorney are similarly elevated by Henry – Dope Thief’s most moving scenes are the ones carried by their collective talents. And Kate Mulgrew charms as Ray’s adoptive mother Theresa, giving her a blunt way of speaking and a harsh, but well-meaning tone that helps to establish how Theresa’s style of caring for her son might also tip into overbearing.

Despite all the nail-biting it inspires and the stellar acting it boasts, Dope Thief does have some sticking points. A few plot holes hinder what’s otherwise a decent story; some of the final twists don’t make complete sense because some characters’ actions aren’t aligned with their motives. And while its ending is fitting – considering the show only covers the first half of Tafoya’s book – it’s also abrupt, building to a pseudo cliffhanger that would take this limited series into a second season that may or may not happen.