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    White Boy Rick

    • 20182018
    • RR
    • 1h 51min
    IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    32K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,439
    959
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • Trivia
    • IMDbPro
    Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, 'White Boy Rick' is based on the true story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr., who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer..
    Trailer2:30
    6 Videos
    97 Photos
    CrimeDrama

    The story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.The story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.The story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.The story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.The story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.

    • Director
      • Yann Demange
    • Writers
      • Andy Weiss
      • Logan Miller
      • Noah Miller
    • Stars
      • Matthew McConaughey
      • Richie Merritt
      • Bel Powley
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Yann Demange
    • Writers
      • Andy Weiss
      • Logan Miller
      • Noah Miller
    • Stars
      • Matthew McConaughey
      • Richie Merritt
      • Bel Powley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 210User reviews
    • 128Critic reviews
    • 59Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos6

    International Trailer
    Trailer 2:30
    International Trailer
    Clip
    Clip 0:41
    Clip
    Going For Custard
    Clip 0:57
    Going For Custard
    'White Boy Rick' Trailer With Director's Commentary
    Video 2:39
    'White Boy Rick' Trailer With Director's Commentary
    Matthew McConaughey Takes 'White Boy Rick' Newcomer Under His Wing
    Video 3:51
    Matthew McConaughey Takes 'White Boy Rick' Newcomer Under His Wing
    The Trailer Trailer
    Video 0:57
    The Trailer Trailer

    Photos97

    Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rory Cochrane, and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Jonathan Majors, RJ Cyler, and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey, Bruce Dern, Piper Laurie, Bel Powley, and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey in White Boy Rick (2018)
    Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt in White Boy Rick (2018)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Matthew McConaughey
    Matthew McConaughey
    • Richard Wershe Sr.as Richard Wershe Sr.
    Richie Merritt
    Richie Merritt
    • Rick Wershe Jr.as Rick Wershe Jr.
    Bel Powley
    Bel Powley
    • Dawn Wersheas Dawn Wershe
    Jennifer Jason Leigh
    Jennifer Jason Leigh
    • FBI Agent Snyderas FBI Agent Snyder
    Brian Tyree Henry
    Brian Tyree Henry
    • Detective Jacksonas Detective Jackson
    Rory Cochrane
    Rory Cochrane
    • FBI Agent Byrdas FBI Agent Byrd
    RJ Cyler
    RJ Cyler
    • Rudell 'Boo' Curryas Rudell 'Boo' Curry
    Jonathan Majors
    Jonathan Majors
    • Johnny 'Lil Man' Curryas Johnny 'Lil Man' Curry
    Eddie Marsan
    Eddie Marsan
    • Art Derrickas Art Derrick
    Taylour Paige
    Taylour Paige
    • Cathy Volsan-Curryas Cathy Volsan-Curry
    Bruce Dern
    Bruce Dern
    • Grandpa Roman 'Ray' Wersheas Grandpa Roman 'Ray' Wershe
    Piper Laurie
    Piper Laurie
    • Grandma Verna Wersheas Grandma Verna Wershe
    Raekwon Haynes
    • Edwin 'Nugg' Crutcheras Edwin 'Nugg' Crutcher
    Ishmael Ali
    • 'Freaky Steve' Roussellas 'Freaky Steve' Roussell
    • (as Ishmael 'Ishdarr' Ali)
    James Howard
    James Howard
    • Chief Homicide Inspector Hillas Chief Homicide Inspector Hill
    YG
    YG
    • Leo 'Big Man' Curryas Leo 'Big Man' Curry
    Danny Brown
    • 'Black Ed' Hanserdas 'Black Ed' Hanserd
    Kyanna Simone Simpson
    Kyanna Simone Simpson
    • Brenda Mooreas Brenda Moore
    • Director
      • Yann Demange
    • Writers
      • Andy Weiss
      • Logan Miller
      • Noah Miller
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

    Matthew McConaughey Talks 'White Boy Rick' Newcomer

    Matthew McConaughey Talks 'White Boy Rick' Newcomer

    White Boy Rick stars Matthew McConaughey, Bel Powley, and more discuss working with their young co-star Richie Merritt, who makes his on-screen debut in the film.
    Watch our interview
    Image caption not available
    View image

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, WHITE BOY RICK is based on the moving story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr., who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer, before he was abandoned by his handlers.
    detroit michigandrug traffickingthree word titlecolor in titlegender in title307 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Witness the rise of America's youngest hustler, dealer, kingpin, informant, legend.
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for language throughout, drug content, violence, some sexual references, and brief nudity
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During the last week of principal photography in Cleveland, production was briefly halted on two separate occasions due to exchanges of gunfire in neighborhoods near the set.
    • Goofs
      The bulk of this story is set in the early / mid '80s. However, Wershe Sr. tells his son that he is seeing someone about a "40 Cal". The .40 S&W cartridge debuted January 17, 1990.
    • Quotes

      Richard Wershe Sr.: [From Trailer] When I first saw you I knew you were going to be bigger than me.

    • Connections
      Featured in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Matthew McConaughey/Taran Killam/Lady Antebellum/Sean Kinney (2018)
    • Soundtracks
      Cocaine Blues (Live)
      Written by Red Arnall (as T.J. Arnall) and William Nichols

      Performed by Johnny Cash

      Courtesy of Columbia Nashville

      By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment

      Published by Unichappell Music Inc. on behalf of itself and Elvis Presley Music, Inc. (BMI)

    User reviews210

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Surprisingly sobering and well worth seeing.
    Rick Wershe Jr's claim to fame, or infamy if you prefer, was that at fourteen he was the youngest ever FBI informant before becoming a kingpin drug dealer at sixteen. Yann Demange's (he made "'71"), film "White Boy Rick" is a 'Serpico'-like account of how Rick got into this and it makes for surprisingly sobering viewing. It didn't help that his dad, (an absolutely terrific Matthew McConaughey), was a low-life gun dealer and his sister, (Bel Powley, brilliant), a junkie. You might say that with a family like this, a life of crime was inevitable.

    It's a tragic story that Demange never exploits and if it isn't quite in the same class as "'71" it may be because this is material we've seen too often in the past. In the title role newcomer Richie Merritt is excellent and the film looks terrific, (Tat Radcliffe was the cinematographer), moving nicely from Hollywood crime movie gloss to documentary realism often in the same scene. In the end, this is a grim, downbeat little movie but it's hard-to-believe true story is one worth telling and Demange tells it very well indeed.
    helpful•14
    0
    • MOscarbradley
    • Dec 18, 2019

    FAQ1

    • The actress who plays Dawn is apparently from London, the film set in Detroit, why does she have a Southern (US) accent?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 14, 2018 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Білий хлопець Рік
    • Filming locations
      • Cleveland, Ohio, USA
    • Production companies
      • LBI Productions
      • Protozoa Pictures
      • Studio 8
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $29,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $24,011,188
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,860,431
      • Sep 16, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $25,957,482
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 51min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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