White Boy Rick
(2018)Newcomer Richie Merritt and Matthew McConaughey star in this crime drama based on a true story, helmed by five-time BAFTA-nominated director Yann Demange ('71).... More
Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic, White Boy Rick recaps the true-life story of Richard Wershe Jr. who became an undercover informant at the age of 14 before becoming a major dealer until he was arrested at age 17 and sentenced to life in prison.Hide
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Directed by Yann Demange (''71')
Starring Richie Merritt, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bel Powley, Rory Cochrane, Bruce Dern, Brian Tyree Henry, RJ Cyler
Written by Steve Kloves, Logan Miller, Noah Miller, Andy Weiss
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 4 providers
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White Boy Rick
The Press Reviews
Despite impressive performances by Matthew McConaughey and newcomer Richie Merritt, the film fails to engage or enlighten. Full Review
"White Boy Rick" attempts to mine drama from circumstances without succeeding at making any of its characters all that sympathetic. Full Review
What ultimately happened to Wershe was a scandal, though it's hard to get too worked up when the movie itself is such a jumble. Full Review
Mr. Demange can convey mood and feeling with his filmmaking, but he can't turn Rick Jr. into a viable character and neither can the inexpert Mr. Merritt. Full Review
It doesn't turn into another Goodfellas story of crime and irony, [but] isn't saying much about the Reagan-era War on Drugs that you haven't heard before. Full Review
A patchy follow-up to the searing '71 from director Yann Demange, but one which tells a compelling true story and offers a treat of a supporting turn from Matthew McConaughey. Full Review
The issue is not that the film focuses on a white kid, but that it doesn't seem much interested in the black lives hit disproportionately hard by the war on drugs. Full Review
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