White Boy Rick

Play trailer

2:29

White Boy Rick

R

2018

1h 51m

Crime

Drama

Biography

Play Trailer

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

156 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 the 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.

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

03/04/2020

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.

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Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

12/09/2018

3/5

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

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

12/09/2018

2/5

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

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M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

08/16/2022

4/5

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

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

03/11/2022

2/4

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.

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Cory Woodroof

Williamson Home Page

02/11/2022

As it stands, White Boy Rick is solid, moving filmmaking, anchored by a bombastic ensemble.

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Shelton C.

@filmtistic Nov 29

I thoroughly enjoyed this film , call me nostalgic I don’t care. Great movie , some pacing issues but other than that it’s a solid film.

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Max M.

@Househuntermax Nov 21

This movie is hella good!

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Buck M

@ThomH Jul 5

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.

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Adam Y

@Adyacht Jun 24

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

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Daniel M

@MazzaQuePasa Jun 16

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.

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Sune T

@RT34279509 04/07/2025

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!

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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 the 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)