Ricky is a 2025 American drama film, directed and produced by Rashad Frett, in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Frett and Lin Que Ayoung. It is an expansion of the 2023 short film of the same name by Frett. It stars Stephan James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Titus Welliver, Maliq Johnson, Imani Lewis, Simbi Kali and Andrene Ward-Hammond.
It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2025. It was released on April 24, 2026, by Blue Harbor Entertainment.
Plot After being imprisoned in his teenage years, Ricky, now an adult, navigates the challenges of life post-incarceration.
Cast Stephan James as Ricardo "Ricky" Smith Sheryl Lee Ralph as Joanne Titus Welliver as Leslie Torino Maliq Johnson as James Imani Lewis as Jaz Simbi Kali as Winsome Andrene Ward-Hammond as Cheryl Sean Nelson as Terrence
Production In January 2023, it was announced Rashad Frett would direct a feature-length version of his short film of the same name. The screenplay was selected for the 2023 Sundance Institute Screenwriting Lab.
Release The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2025. In January 2026, Blue Harbor Entertainment was announced to be distributing the film, setting the release for April 24, 2026.
Reception Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
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