![‘Ricky’ Review: Stephan James Elevates A Heartbreaking Look At The Struggles Of Post-Incarceration [Sundance]](https://cdn.theplaylist.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/04132149/Ricky-Sundance.jpg "‘Ricky’ Review: Stephan James Elevates A Heartbreaking Look At The Struggles Of Post-Incarceration [Sundance]")
At only 30 years old, Ricky (Stephan James) has spent half his life in prison, having received such a punishment following a robbery and subsequent attempted murder when he was but 15, emerging from behind bars into a different world than the one he remembered, it’s up to him to make the adjustment necessary to merely survive in this new reality, but what exactly does that require? What outside forces threaten to upend any progress he wishes to achieve? Does he even possess this ability whatsoever? Each week, more than 10,000 individuals re-enter society following the completion of prison sentences, each with their own background and circumstances as they attempt to resume the life they led before or start something entirely new. Named after its main character, a film called “Ricky” takes its turn at a familiar story, leaving a wake of devastation in the process as Ricky’s struggle emerges from the screen in a heartbreakingly real manner.
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We don’t know the details of what first led Ricky down this path. Nor do we see Ricky leave prison on his final day, stepping out into the sunlight as if it were framed through the lens of Frank Darabont; instead, we meet Ricky at his job, working as a package handler and, as he leaves the loading dock following the end of one such shift, proceeds to hustle a job cutting a young boy’s hair from his mother, Jaz (Imani Lewis) as he walks along his familiar route towards home. It’s quickly apparent Ricky possesses some form of motivation; could there be a brighter future ahead? Unfortunately, only moments later, Ricky finds himself on the run after turning down an offer to purchase drugs, soon arriving in the backyard of his gun-toting neighbor Leslie (Titus Welliver). If somewhat heavy-handed, the symbolism of Ricky’s past in hot pursuit couldn’t be more precise.
Luckily, Ricky’s home life appears, from the outset, somewhat stable, with his mother, Winsome (Simbi Kali), supporting Ricky and his devoted brother, James (Maliq Johnson), through work at a hospital. Winsome’s employment will soon take on even more importance as a background check results in the termination of Ricky’s job, something which not only puts him in hot water with his persistent parole officer Joanne (Sheryl Lee Ralph) but seemingly ends his dream of obtaining a well-restored car from Leslie who only several scenes earlier urged him to leave his property at once. It’s here that Ricky’s motivation comes into question, with repeated missed appointments with Joanne and his lackadaisical interest in finding a new job. However, support may exist through James, as he helps Ricky learn how to drive, and his mother is unwavering in her support; what exactly is it that Ricky wants out of life?
It’s hard to say, and though “Ricky” could be seen less as an examination of how one adapts to life after prison, there do exist those moments where modern society poses a barrier, such as Ricky halfheartedly admitting he doesn’t do social media, and even some difficulty using a smartphone. If anything, the film seems intent on capturing a brief period in Ricky’s journey, one in which the beginning remains well-known and the future appears murkier by the minute, even if a glimpse of that much-needed hope begins to materialize towards the end of the third act.
Could purchasing that new, fancy car be the ultimate goal of our hero? Ricky does say as much during one such meeting with Joanne, a scene which serves to showcase Sheryl Lee Ralph’s excellence in her role; in only a handful of scenes, during which she interacts with Ricky, Winsome, or both, the undeniable care she maintains for this wayward young man can’t be ignored. The exact same can be said about Winsome, seen best when she comforts Ricky as he slouches by a storefront after leaving home following an argument between the two. Joanne may have no children of her own, but in her job, she has many, and in each, she desires nothing but the best. Winsome’s only concern is her sons: two different women, two identical loves. There’s tension between both, with a history briefly touched upon as it’s revealed Joanne left the church to which Winsome still clings, but even this momentary conflict moves aside as they set about trying desperately to steer Ricky down the right path.
Those outside forces? Maybe it’s Ricky’s friend, the one who first got him the job he would soon go on to lose, the one who fled the crime scene 15 years ago and allowed Ricky to endure the brunt of the punishment solely. He says he wants to help, but in Ricky’s eyes, a decade and a half hardly seems like enough time to heal such a wound. Maybe it’s Cheryl (Andrene Ward-Hammond), a member of a support group Ricky attends who might be a buoyant lifeline but could be quite the opposite as Ricky attempts to juggle this newfound friendship with Jaz and her son amid a sea of jealousy stemming from Cheryl. Maybe it’s autopilot: does Ricky, in fact, want to succeed? A final, devastating speech rounding out the film’s conclusion crystalizes his sincere remorse, even as the film receives that moment in the sunset soon after, suggesting something presumably better.
By diving into an exhausted genre, director/co-writer Rashad Frett allows Ricky’s story to document something many face following incarceration while taking the briefest of glimpses into his life. It would be easy to turn “Ricky” into something more, a commentary on recidivism and the hardships of a criminal coping with life in this day and age. Still, by only touching on these, a simple story performs the heavy lifting, unfolding as it does. We want to hope for Ricky, cheer his successes, and wish him a better life, not only for Ricky but for all those who are the same. [A]
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