Writer-director Rashad Frett’s 2023 short “Ricky” was a Sundance-selected short centered on a young man’s experiences relieved from incarceration, but burdened with parole. Two years later, he returns with a more fully-fleshed out feature-length version of this story, complete with a bigger cast. Expanding from short to feature can be a complicated process and this type of story has been successfully translated to the big screen through multiple different perspectives and varying budgets. Frett’s focus is set on all the setbacks that come with being “free”, emphasizing the struggle one man faces to maintain stability and normalcy, while the rest of the world refuses to give him a chance. However, it also feels like Frett refuses to give Ricardo “Ricky” Smith a chance either, which creates a narrative that feels more punishing than authentic. 

Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk) is massively impressive as the titular lead, returning home from prison as a 30-year old inexperienced man after 15 years of incarceration for a crime that isn’t quite detailed in the film, nor does it have to be. His younger brother James (Maliq Johnson) is careless. His mother (Simbi Kali) is strict, but prays for him every day. His parole officer Joanne (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is tough as nails, never allowing him one ounce of sympathy. He forms a brief encounter and potential romance with a young single mother Jaz (Imani Lewis) as well as a heated relationship with a fellow woman on parole Cheryl (brilliantly funny on last year’s “English Teacher (FX)”, here in an imposing dramatic performance). He can barely keep a job, using his barber skills as a way to make extra cash to save up for a car he plans to buy from neighborhood army veteran Leslie Torino (the underused Titus Welliver). The odds are against him every step of the way, and this is where the film should allow us to see the avenues for Ricky and motivate us to root for him to success. Instead, Frett writes certain characters into the ground, causing them to betray Ricky for the sake of drama.

Yes, it leads to moments of great, intense acting from its enemble, but it also causes certain characters to lose humanity and the audience to lose faith in Ricky, who is quite frankly hopeless. Every mistake made is a step closer back behind bars and the film’s messaging often seems to be making the point that perhaps he’s better off back in prison. Ricky is told that if he slips up and ends back in handcuffs, so does his family metaphorically, but what is his character supposed to do about that? When it matters most, he does try and often times that’s not good enough. It’s understandable that Frett is trying to emphasize how hard it is for people to return home and keep themselves corrected and behaved, and that stress is successfully depicted (albiet with occasionally frantic and unnecessary handheld cinematography that’s more dizzying than it is immersive). 

Ricky works best in its quiet moments, whether it’s the tender moment of Cheryl allowing Ricky to lose his virginity, or his mother consoling him after an accident, or Joanne finally letting her guard down to explain to Ricky why she has to be as tough as she is on him. These moments are directed and performed so well by Frett and his extraordinary cast that for large chunks of Ricky, we are being promised a better film than we get. Certain story threads trail off, though, and Ricky’s tough conclusion feels inevitable, with only a hint of optimism. The pieces are there for an explosive film, but ultimately it’s just a stepping stone that shows signs of greater promise for Frett’s future films, even if there may be enough empathy in this debut to still capture your heart.