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Dope Thief 2025

Impressive performances save this bumpy crime comedy about two grifters who get caught in their lies

Our Take (by Renee Cuisia)

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.

Notable Critics

"Dope Thief’s cast is so strong, and their handling of the series’ innate tonal conflict so masterful, that the pacing issues don’t overwhelm."

— Roxana Hadadi

"[Brian Tyree Henry] makes the most of the material served to him on a silver platter."

— Alison Herman

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.

More about it

What happens

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.

What sets it apart

Ridley Scott directs the first episode, and you can tell. It’s fast-paced and can almost standalone as its own thing.

TL;DR

A buddy-cop comedy, kinda, but darker and with more emotional depth.

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About the author

Renee Cuisia

Renee Cuisia

Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.