External links
- Dope Thief at IMDb
| Dope Thief | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Peter Craig |
| Based on | Dope Thief by Dennis Tafoya |
| Written by | Peter Craig |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Dominic Lewis |
| Opening theme | "Point and Kill" by Little Simz feat. Obongjayar |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
| Release | March 14 – April 25, 2025 |
Dope Thief is an American crime drama television miniseries created by Peter Craig, based on the 2009 novel by Dennis Tafoya. It premiered on Apple TV+ on March 14, 2025.
Two Philadelphia friends who pose as DEA agents to rob drug dealers face the consequences of their actions when they steal from an organized narcotics operation under surveillance by the actual DEA.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Jolly Ranchers" | Ridley Scott | Peter Craig | March 14, 2025 | |
Ray and Manny are two childhood friends who support themselves by impersonating DEA agents, robbing low-level stash houses in the inner city of Philadelphia. Ray learns that his adopted mother, Theresa, needs $10,000 in cash while a soon-to-be wed Manny is desperate to leave his criminal past behind. They hire an ex-convict, Rick, to assist them, but he suggests that they could nab a larger score by robbing a methamphetamine lab in Ottsville; against his better judgement, Ray agrees. The robbery quickly goes off the rails when a nervous Rick opens fire, resulting in him and two men being killed while the lab catches fire and explodes. Ray and Manny escape with a large amount of cash and unprocessed meth but receive a call from a stranger who reveals that he's already identified them. A survivor from the robbery turns out to be an undercover DEA agent who tips off her colleagues. | |||||
| 2 | "Bat Out of Hell" | Jonathan van Tulleken | Peter Craig | March 14, 2025 | |
Ray bribes Theresa with a trip to Atlantic City to get her out of town, then pays a visit to his incarcerated father, Bart, who admits that he told a recently paroled inmate about his son's activities. After stashing the drugs and money, Ray and Manny track down the inmate but find him and his family brutally slaughtered before getting ambushed by two bikers. After a brief shootout, the bikers are killed, and Manny ditches Ray to make sure his girlfriend is safe. When Ray goes looking for them, another biker pursues him through the neighborhood before a truck runs him over. Theresa calls and tells Ray that he needs to meet with a lawyer, Michelle, about getting a compassionate release for Bart under state COVID-19 guidelines. From Michelle, Ray is informed that his father is dying from cancer and despite his hatred of the man, puts up the money to pay Michelle's retainer. | |||||
| 3 | "Run, Die, or Relapse" | Tanya Hamilton | Peter Craig | March 21, 2025 | |
The DEA recovers plates from Ray's burned van and a gun used in the robbery; by tracking down the dealer it was stolen from, they obtain a composite sketch of Ray's face. Son abandons Ray to protect his family, while urging him to skip town. Theresa returns home against Ray's wishes and demands the truth. After a heated argument, Ray goes upstairs and finds Manny hiding in his attic. The prison then calls Theresa with news that Bart has been stabbed. Forced to accompany her to visit him, Ray correctly deduces that the bikers have set an ambush for him when he leaves. Before they can kill him, however, local police sweep in and conduct mass arrests. Manny begs Ray for help reconciling with Sherry, who has threatened to turn him in. Ray stops her by revealing Manny's intentions to propose. Outside, he finds a box with a threatening note and the head of his associate Malik. | |||||
| 4 | "Philadelphia Lawyer" | Marcela Said | Peter Craig | March 28, 2025 | |
| 5 | "Fear of God" | Marcela Said | Peter Craig | April 4, 2025 | |
| 6 | "Love Songs from Mars" | Jonathan van Tulleken | Peter Craig | April 11, 2025 | |
| 7 | "Mussolini" | Marcela Said | Peter Craig | April 18, 2025 | |
| 8 | "Innocent People" | Peter Craig | Peter Craig | April 25, 2025 | |
It was announced in August 2022 that Sinking Spring, a TV series written by Peter Craig based on Dennis Tafoya's novel Dope Thief, would be produced for Apple TV+, with Brian Tyree Henry starring. Ridley Scott was set to direct the pilot episode, in addition to executive producing. Craig was also set to direct an episode. [2] The cast, including Michael Mando, Marin Ireland and Kate Mulgrew, were announced in the following months. [3] [4] [5] In January 2023, Amir Arison was cast, [6] with Ving Rhames, Dustin Nguyen and Nesta Cooper among additional castings the following month. [7] Kiều Chinh was cast in March. [8]
Filming began in February 2023 in Philadelphia. [9] Following an on-set altercation with another actor, Mando was fired, with Wagner Moura cast to replace him. [10] On May 9, filming was halted due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. [11]
In November 2024, it was reported that the series' title had been changed from Sinking Spring to Dope Thief, and that the first two episodes were set to premiere on March 14, 2025. [12]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100 [13] |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 86% [14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The A.V. Club | B- [15] |
| TV Guide | 7.6/10 [16] |
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Dope Thief has an approval rating of 86% based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura might be punching below their weight with Dope Thief's derivative story, but that doesn't stop them from making this thriller a riveting ride." [14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 74 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [13]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Astra TV Awards | Best Limited Series | Dope Thief | Nominated | [17] |
| Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Brian Tyree Henry | Nominated | |||
| Gotham TV Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Limited Series | Nominated | [18] | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series | Peter Craig | Pending | [19] | |
| Outstanding Lead Performance in a TV Movie/Limited Series | Brian Tyree Henry | Pending | |||
| Outstanding Directing in a TV Movie or Limited Series | Tanya Hamilton | Pending | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Brian Tyree Henry | Pending | [20] |
