Ricky is a short film written and directed by Rashad Frett. Ricky is a very powerful film that focuses on an ex-offender struggling with his new freedom, securing a job just out of incarceration and the obstacles that newly freed inmates face. The short film was one of the movies we had a chance to watch during the annual Sundance Film Festival. We enjoyed the film and are excited to learn that they will be making a feature length film for the short. You can check out the trailer below, along with our review.

The film follows an ex-offender who is trying to deal with being free once again. Freedom isn’t all it’s cut out to be, however, with tons of new emotional and physical obstacles. Ricky included some exceptional acting. The acting from Parish Bradley and Maliq Johnson was very compelling and the chemistry made the short that much more tragic.

Behind the camera, Frett does a great job at giving us tension and an almost claustrophobic feel. These shots help us emphathize with Ricky as he tries to adjust to his new life and become a different person.

Frett also developed a very compelling and real story that left me feeling for Ricky. A lot of the dialogue feels seamless, and the actors truly give some great performances. The film’s ending leaves you wondering what comes next, so when I heard about the upcoming feature, I was really excited. Ricky will be a full-length film soon and I’m ready to dive back into this world and see where it goes. I truly believe what Frett has crafted in this short will translate well into a feature length film.

We give Ricky a 4/5.