White Boy Rick

Play trailer

2:29

White Boy Rick

R

2018

1h 51m

Crime

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

155 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Rick Wershe is a single father who's struggling to raise two teenagers during the height of the crack epidemic in 1980s Detroit. Wershe sells guns illegally to make ends meet but soon attracts attention from the FBI. Federal agents convince his son, Rick Jr., to become an undercover drug informant in exchange for keeping his father out of prison. When young Rick gets in too deep, he finds himself seduced by the lure of easy money and becomes a drug dealer himself.

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Critics Consensus

Solid work from the cast - particularly a scene-stealing Matthew McConaughey - helps White Boy Rick make up for a number of missed opportunities in the script.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Director Yann Demange ('71) seems uncertain whether to play the material as searing drama or black comedy, and so he gives up on establishing a recognizable tone altogether.

Mar 4, 2020

Full Review

Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

When you ask yourself: "What's so special about Rick?" The answer is: not much.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 9, 2018

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

The music choices inject energy, but it's difficult to care about a character who is too dumb to care about himself.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 9, 2018

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

The film is ultimately held together by a terrific supporting performance by Matthew McConaughey

Rated: 4/5

Aug 16, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

White Boy Rick attempts to be the next great Hollywood film about the criminal underworld. But with its slow pacing and rather unpleasant cast of characters, the crime drama fails to achieve a Goodfellas-level balance of gangsterism and mordancy.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 11, 2022

Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

While this is indeed an incredible yarn, the acting here can be hit-or-miss.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 22, 2021

Full Review

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Buck M

McConaughey is, in short, not only the film's motor but its moral justification, the fullest representation of a state of affairs and an era marked by social, political and economic decline.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

Adam Y

White Boy Rick is a solid and moving character-driven drama, carried on the back of its strong cast.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/24/25

Full Review

Daniel M

Another movie that I have no idea why it’s scored so low. The story was amazing and kept me invested till the end with a great cast who all were incredible. Very touching story.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

Sune T

I was extremely surprised to see the low tomato score for this one! But maybe the disappointed reviews are about wrong expectations - this is not a thriller or a gangster movie, but a haunting social realist drama. It is raw, unsentimental and brutal in its description of people who have almost nothing, but still have a world to lose. Stellar performances from the entire cast and a dark vision that is hard to shake off. A deeply moving, and, in my opinion, very well accomplished work!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/07/25

Full Review

Takis T

Totally forgettable (if not for the solid acting of McConaughey) drug-dealer-flick. There's a million stories about drug dealers out there, a few are really outlandish, but only a few, the rest is just dumb people dealing drugs and getting busted or killed. This film is of the latter category. Save your time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/03/25

Full Review

Jelisije J

Based on a true story where a young kid was made into a government informant where their was nothing but drugs and corruption on the mean streets and the clean streets.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

Full Review

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Yann Demange

Director

Matthew McConaughey

Richard Wershe Sr.

Richie Merritt

Rick Wershe Jr.

Bel Powley

Dawn Wershe

Jennifer Jason Leigh

FBI Agent Snyder

Brian Tyree Henry

Detective Jackson

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - Rick Gets Shot

2:28

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - You A Granddaddy

3:40

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - Turning Snitch

3:06

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - You Took A Life!

1:30

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - The Diner

2:14

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - Personality Crash

3:10

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - Not Saying Nothing

2:44

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - Rick Gets Arrested

2:07

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - We Are Lions!

2:42

White Boy Rick: Official Clip - We're Going for Custard

2:39

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White Boy Rick: Trailer 1

2:29

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Synopsis

Rick Wershe is a single father who's struggling to raise two teenagers during the height of the crack epidemic in 1980s Detroit. Wershe sells guns illegally to make ends meet but soon attracts attention from the FBI. Federal agents convince his son, Rick Jr., to become an undercover drug informant in exchange for keeping his father out of prison. When young Rick gets in too deep, he finds himself seduced by the lure of easy money and becomes a drug dealer himself.

Director: Yann Demange
Producer: John Lesher, Julie Yorn, Scott Franklin, Darren Aronofsky
Screenwriter: Andy Weiss, Logan Miller, Noah Miller
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Studio 8
Rating: R (Drug Content|Brief Nudity|Language Throughout|Some Sexual References|Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 14, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.0M
Runtime: 1h 51m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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