PARK CITY, UT – For many who have either been in prison and have found difficulty readjusting to life after incarceration, the 20-minute short film “RICKY” directed by Rashad Frett and Executive Produced by Cary Fukunaga explores this in gritty and realistic detail.
RICKY, which touches on an ex-offender (Parish Bradley) struggling with his new freedom, securing a job just out of incarceration and the obstacles that newly freed inmates face.
Obstacles such as anxiety, paranoia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dealing with a new life outside of prison, after being given a job by a neighbor Bernetta (Karen Chilton) to make ends meet and a new shot at life.
On his first day back home, Ricky reconnects with society, with his younger half-brother James teaching him how to drive.
After James (Maliq Johnson) overslept and causing him to be late to his new job at diner that Bernetta works at, Ricky burrows James’ car, and almost ends up in an accident, before having a panic attack and running over an innocent by-stander.
After being tracked down by James and coming home from his first shift, the police arrive to arrest James for a hit-and-run. With James in handcuffs and about to be taken away, Ricky stands by helpless and unable to speak.
A truly gripping and tense short that unapologetically shows what life is like for ex-prisoners, who are trying to acclimate into a new world, RICKY is a brilliant and raw take in the right direction.