Ladrões de Drogas

A good mix of tense expletive filled crime scenes with some comedic moments and dialogue.

People giving really low ratings just don't get the show. It's meant to be grubby, gritty, downmarket and low end crime, and comedy coming from the mistakes the leading duo make. Call it a dark comedy in some ways.

Surely the title gives this away. "Dope Thief".

Think Cocaine Bear type of title and the premise that gives to the movie.

The tension across the first 3 episodes is great, and a lot of the dialogue very quick and quick witted. Also a dark look at the poorer end of life in the suburbs of a large US city, with people doing what they have to do to get by, much of it very illegal.

Dope Thief's premise is good. A pair of small-time grifters pretend to be DEA agents in order to steal from drug houses and accidentally hit the wrong house, riling up dangerous and powerful people.

The actors are good too, especially Brian Tyree Henry and Kate Mugrew. But the writing just isn't up to par.

It starts well with a good balance of character development and action, and even some dark humor, which vanishes later in the season.

But there are plot twists that seem absurd, dialogue that sounds gratingly screen-written and not natural, and it's a problem that the two protagonists are largely buffeted around by forces beyond their control.

In a more dynamic story, they'd find a way to fight back more than they do. Stories where the protagonists are just trying to survive but are never in control of the narrative tend to wear out their welcome faster. That's okay for a two-hour disaster flick but not a multi-episode series. Wagner Moura's character in particular was a problem. All he seemed to do is cry.

The final episode is a convoluted mess as the writers attempt to tie up the plot threads in a hurried fashion. By the end, it seems like a different and worse series than the beginning.

Note that this isn't an ongoing series but a story that wraps up in one season so there isn't a huge investment to make. I suppose it could continue but it doesn't seem likely. By the time I started to get really fed up with it, the show was over.

If George Pelecanos has Baltimore and Dennis Lehane has Boston, Tafoya is probably the best spotlight for Philadelphia's crime fiction considering the similarities, which is a shame considering he lacks the volume of work the other two have. Nonetheless, Peter Craig does a good job adapting the novel as a series.

Brian Tyree Henry is Ray Driscoll, an intelligent self-taught crook who makes his money as sticking up drug dealers in Philadelphia alongside his best friend, immature dopehead Manny Carvalho. Deciding to go bigger, they recruit ex-convict Rick to act as a third man while robbing a meth lab. The problem? Rick is killed in a gun battle with the cooks and wounds a third woman, who turns out to be an undercover DEA agent. The bigger problem? The meth lab belongs to an outlaw biker gang pushing into Philly's drug trade, and they know both Ray and Manny stole their product.

The cast is good, with Kate Mulgrew standing out as Theresa, the girlfriend of Ray's father and a loving mother figure to Ray, who calls "Ma" without hesitation. However, the DEA side of the series doesn't really mesh well. Marin Ireland is fine but doesn't really feel noteworthy as Mina. She's not emotive as a character except for a few scenes.

People complained about the dialogue, but I like it well enough. It adds to the influence of both The Wire and Lehane's own body of work. Manny cries and freaks out a little too much for me, but nothing seems out of place in spite of that.

Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura deliver an amazing performance in Dope Thief. They are like virtuoso violinists, transitioning from one scene to another with remarkable skill. The story is engaging; however, the TV series incorporates too many elements simultaneously, making it feel overly chaotic. Yes, it belongs to the crime genre, but it feels like a well-crafted dessert overwhelmed by excessive sauce.

Character development focuses almost entirely on Ray (Brian Tyree Henry), while the other characters could have been explored more deeply. Supporting roles are relegated mostly to the background, which feels like a missed opportunity. I find it frustrating when a series fails to surpass the standard despite having all the ingredients for success.

Although I've criticized the series on these points, I still recommend watching it. It's a good TV series-but it had the potential to be even better.

The episodes have been keeping our attention. It's full of action and a few funny moments as well. The dialogues between the two main actors are well-crafted. Wagner Moura's performance is a standout, reinforcing his reputation as a versatile and talented actor. His ability to convey emotion, whether through subtle facial expressions, elevates the entire production. It's even more impressive considering that he is performing in languages that are not his mother tongue, yet he delivers with remarkable authenticity.

This adds an extra layer of admiration for his craft, proving once again that talent transcends language barriers.

This is a series that delivers on multiple levels-action, humor, and amazing performances. It's definitely worth watching.