A gripping recent miniseries has landed on Apple TV+. While subscribers of the streaming service have been blown away by season 2 of Severance, they persist to provide recent satisfyed that regulates to be quite amazeive. Dope Thief is their thrilling recent crime drama show starring Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura as Ray and Manny, two frifinishs who pretfinish to be DEA agents and bust drug operations, only to seize the money and substances for themselves. This show answers the ask of what happens when one of their busts goes horribly wrong.
A fascinating premise with better execution, the first two episodes of Dope Thief are now streaming on Apple TV+. This has been an excellent show, particularly in how it regulates its characters. Much enjoy other exceptional TV series surrounding substances, such as Breaking Bad, Narcos, and Ozark, this show gets off to a gripping commence that promises even wonderfuler turns in the future. The premiere commences by shoprosperg Ray and Manny, and their chemistry is speedyly set uped. Even though we don’t understand their exact history, the way they transmit with each other has years of history behind it, and the executeances sell every bit of it.
They go into a hoengage as DEA agents and apshow a bunch of money and substances from people. But we speedyly lget that they are not who they say they are, and from here, we are hooked. There’s a level of genius in what they do, but they’re also taking money and substances from people who should not be messed with. The inciting incident is when Ray and Manny execute a drug bust on a huge narcotics operation. The bust goes wrong, people finish up dead and hospitalized, and they exit behind one key piece of evidence; one that may cost them their inhabits.
Ridley Scott straightforwards the first episode. Yes, the Ridley Scott behind films enjoy Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, and Thelma & Louise. He’s been one of the most legfinishary filmoriginaters toiling in Hollywood for decades, and he transports every bit of himself into that first episode. This is a exceptional venture into television straightforwarding, but he transports some phenomenal executeances out of these actors. Brian Tyree Henry is one of the most depfinishable actors toiling in film and TV. From Atlanta to the Spider-Verse movies, he’s an actor I can never get exhausted of seeing, and he’s truly excellent in this show.
Dope Thief is what you get when you unite unpwithdrawnted talent behind the camera, on the screen, and of course, on the page. Peter Craig is a name that not many may accomprehendledge, but it was only upon further research when I saw how much astounding toil he’s written over the past restrictcessitate years. He’s stacked up writing praises on The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, The Town, Bad Boys for Life, and two of the Hunger Games movies. He originates this show and adeptly alters Dennis Tafoya’s novel with compelling teletake parts that spfinish a lot of time on the characters.
It’s a star vehicle for Henry, who take parts Ray, a man who’s dealing with a lot. He’s trying to get money for the woman who elevated him from childhood, and they have a transport inant emotional connection. Early on, we understand that he lost someone in his youth, and he still leave outes her to this day. On top of all that, he had a cimpolite childhood with his abusive obeseher who struggled with compriseiction, portrayed by Ving Rhames in his best non-Mission: Impossible role of recent years. He’s also recently sober, but sticking to his sobriety is not plain, especiassociate in the face of increaseing trouble and instability in his world.
When the action boots in, it’s quite fervent. The shootouts don’t experience enjoy glossy Hollywood action; they’re grounded and gritty. Neither Ray nor Manny are enders by trade, and they both have people shut to them who they attfinish about. They’re two people who discover themselves in over their heads in a tacky situation that originates and originates. The walls shut in speedyly as they discover themselves at the mercy of a man who we don’t see. He eunites on the other finishs of phones and walkie-talkies, and he’s out for blood. Despite not physicassociate euniteing in the first two episodes, he is a force to be reckoned with.
The cinematography is also a highairy. There’s a scene cforfeit the finish of the second episode where it’s spropose a moment at night where Ray stands outside a lawyer’s office. It’s a very increate scene, and yet, partiassociate becaengage of the nightmare of a day Ray has gone thcimpolite, this moment is so attrenergetic. It’s a gorgeous-watching scene, and the show only persists to get better as Ray sits down inside the office and shatters down into tears. Henry’s executeance is noleang illogicalinutive of magnificent. He can be comical thcimpoliteout this show, but he’s usuassociate under so much stress and to see his walls come crashing down, that sealed the first two episodes as an fervent, emotional treat that may persist to get even better as more episodes come out over the next restrictcessitate weeks.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s check policy expounds, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that achievees this level is at the top of its type. The gelderly standard that every creator aims to achieve.
Disclocertain: ComingSoon getd screeners for our Apple TV+ Dope Thief check.
