Starring Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura, Drug Thief revolves around Ray and Manny, two lifelong friends, and how they become involved in one of the biggest drug syndicates in the world. The two friends posed as DEA agents and targeted small-time dealers. They raided their homes and stole drugs, money, and guns. Ray was the one in charge, while Manny was too afraid to take risks. But he continued to support Ray's efforts because, after all, it helped him support his family.
Their business was doing well; it wasn't honest work, but they believed the people they scammed deserved it (to each their own!). But things took a turn when a third member joined them. Rick was a convict who knew Ray and Manny from their time in prison together. He had recently gotten out and was looking for work. He contacted Manny and decided to reintroduce him to Ray. But they had no idea it would open doors they'd never have wanted to knock on.
Stars: Brian Tyree Henry, Wagner Moura, Marin Ireland
Ray was proud of the business he'd built. He believed he was forcing gangsters to pay the karma tax, and it was a game of wits and dominance, something that was hard to achieve. The best part was that the victims couldn't complain about the scam to the police. When Ray and Manny discussed their business with Rick, he was immediately interested and promised to share some places they could easily rob.
The first one he shared was a property in Ottsville, Pennsylvania. Ray kept a close eye on his targets for a few days. He could almost identify with the only girl on the team. She had become a prisoner of her circumstances, just like him. No matter how hard she tried to stay on the straight and narrow, she gravitated toward questionable schemes.
Her father had been a gangster, and he was still in prison. Ray blamed him for ruining his life and believed that if it weren't for Theresa, his father's then-girlfriend and adoptive mother, his life would have been completely different. He remembered days when his father would lock him in the closet, and back then, Ray considered that small space in the closet a safe haven. Ray had vivid memories of his father physically assaulting his addicted mother, and he blamed him for her death.
In the first episode of Drug Thief, we get the impression that Ray, no matter how brave and courageous he pretended to be, was always disappointed. As much as he despised his father, the fear that he would become his old man was very real. Ray lived with a constant sense of guilt because, deep down, he perhaps blamed himself for his girlfriend's death. Marletta, or Mars, was the love of his life, and he often reminisced about the conversations they used to have. She was the daughter of a police officer, and although they came from very different backgrounds, they found love. But sadly, she passed away after being in an accident. The guilt of having survived, of not having been more careful, continued to haunt Ray.
Although the job in Pennsylvania didn't seem safe, Ray decided to take a chance. Before raiding the conversion lab, Ray warned Rick not to pull the trigger. Since the house was a kitchen, Ray couldn't risk starting a fire and blowing it up. He reminded Rick that it was all a show; they were just going to come in, scare them, take the drugs and money, and leave.
Rick was excited after snorting cocaine, but promised to follow his instructions. They managed to get into the lab, but things didn't go as planned. They handcuffed a man, but he demanded to see a warrant, and as they were beating him over the head to shut him up, a woman (the one Ray had been following) appeared with a gun. She repeatedly called "Jack," and during the altercation, Rick pulled the trigger and killed the man they'd handcuffed. As expected, this acted as a catalyst and led to several more mishaps.
The woman shot Rick, and he shot her back. The woman collapsed on the ground, while Rick screamed in pain. "Jack" entered the scene with a gun in his hand and tried to shoot Ray, but Rick killed him before he could do any more damage. Rick was severely injured and eventually passed away from the pain and severe blood loss. This was Manny's worst nightmare. He had always feared that one day something bad would happen to them and they wouldn't know how to stop it.
While he imagined the worst, Ray took matters into his own hands and decided to grab the money and drugs before leaving. They found a bag full of money and bottles of liquid methamphetamine. But they were stunned to realize that the woman who had been shot was missing. Ray knew immediately that the situation was turning into a disaster. Not only had they killed people, but they were also about to leave a witness behind. But they didn't have time to think things through and left in a hurry.
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