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.
Contents
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 a April 24, 2026, release.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 41 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Anchored by Stephan James' soulful performance and Rashad Frett's assured direction, Ricky is a raw, empathetic, and quietly powerful parable that delivers a moving gut punch through its realistic portrayal of life after incarceration." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
