‘Ricky’ Review: Stephan James Steals The Show As A Struggling Ex-Con – Sundance Film Festival
deadline.comThe amount of effort it takes to be a law-abiding citizen in America—and anywhere else, for that matter—is the subject of Ricky, Rashad Frett’s thoughtful feature debut, starring Stephan James in the kind of A Star Is Born role more typical of festivals past.
On the surface, it’s a social-realist drama about a broken legal system that mostly works to keep convicted criminals in jail for life.
James, however, brings a depth and humanity to the title role that makes it much more than an issue-of-the-week movie, and the recent success of films such as Sing Sing and Nickel Boys suggests that it could get a much more sympathetic landing than it might have done even a year ago.
The setting is the Caribbean community in Connecticut, although this is likely more a personal touchstone for the director than a plot point.
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