Led by Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, The Fire Inside, Bullet Train), Dope Thief is a thrilling if uneven crime comedy following two grifters (the other played by Wagner Moura) who get into deep trouble after a fake drug bust goes wrong. With cartel men and the feds chasing them, Henry and Moura’s characters must find a way to protect themselves and their loved ones, all while they process some unresolved grief and trauma. Moura is reliably great, but Henry juggles plenty of hats here—he is the emotional core, as well as often the funniest guy in the room. It gets uneven midway, but nothing some impressive and enjoyable performances can’t fix.
Synopsis
Two lifelong friends in Philadelphia pose as DEA agents to rob small-time drug dealers. It's a perfect grift—until they choose the wrong mark and become targets of a massive narcotics enterprise.
Storyline
When two cons pretending to be federal agents in Philadelphia get caught, they race against time to escape both the actual feds and the cartel they angered.
TLDR
A buddy-cop comedy, kinda, but darker and with more emotional depth.
What stands out
Ridley Scott directs the first episode, and you can tell. It’s fast-paced and can almost standalone as its own thing.
