White Boy Rick
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: September 14, 2018
6.4
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 66 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
31
Mixed:
33
Negative:
2
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
7
GreatMartinSep 15, 2018
Ricky Wershe Jr, AKA White Boy Rick, went to jail in 1987 at the age of 17 and is still in jail today though he was paroled 2017. “White Boy Rick” tells his story from the age of 14 to 17 with an addendum at the end.

The film covers manyRicky Wershe Jr, AKA White Boy Rick, went to jail in 1987 at the age of 17 and is still in jail today though he was paroled 2017. “White Boy Rick” tells his story from the age of 14 to 17 with an addendum at the end.

The film covers many topics like the state of Detroit at the time, corrupt cops and politicians, drug dealers, teenagers giving birth, Black versus White subjects, all very lightly including time spent in prison. The two subjects that the film delves into are Ricky Jr., who as a teenager is used and gets involved in dealing drugs by ‘law-abiding’ adults. The other subject is about family and the fight to stay together.

The family consists of grandparents (Piper Laurie and Bruce Dern), father (Matthew McConaughey) brother (Richie Merritt) and sister (Bel Powley) each having problems but all there for each other for good or bad. All we know about the children’s mother is that she left before the film starts. The cast also includes Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rory Cochrane as FBI agents, Brian Tyree Henry as a narcotics cop, Eddie Marsan as a drug kingpin, RJ Cyler as Ricky’s friend among many who come and go without a chance to make an impact.

The movie mainly relies on McConaughey who plays the shady dealing con man with dreams and the father who loves his children giving a definitive portrait of the man. With more face time and some deeper scenes Merritt is at a disadvantage being a nonprofessional cast in his first role. At times he acts as a typical teenager, which may be natural, while at other times he doesn’t quite have the gravitas needed in some scenes.

Bel Powley as the daughter/sister is a match for McConaughey and, in a few scenes is too intense for Merritt.

“White Boy Ricky” is directed by Yann Demange with the screenplay by Andy Weiss, Logan Miller and Noah Miller with both sides seeming not to know what to concentrate on, a shaky camera coming and going for no any particular reason, which at times prevents the audience from being quite as engaged as it should and could be.


“White Boy Ricky” is an interesting film to see because it approaches an often done subject from a new angle.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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10
KevinChau5Sep 14, 2018
Saw this film tonight, Really good true story! Loved the performances by Matthew McConaughey, Good storyline, would highly recommend this film!!
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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8
BerikJan 17, 2019
White Boy Rick has an impact as strong as the title. But it is quite enjoyable to watch.

We take a look in the life of some trash americans who live a life on the edge of society, stuck in their situation. The interactions are veryWhite Boy Rick has an impact as strong as the title. But it is quite enjoyable to watch.

We take a look in the life of some trash americans who live a life on the edge of society, stuck in their situation. The interactions are very interesting, and seems believable.It has a sad ending, but basically says: 'You should have known better.'

I would recommend this movie to other people, and i think Matthew did a good job. I give this movie a 8/10.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
JalemanyOct 30, 2020
Great film. The pace and rhythm of this movie is close to masterful. The variety of contexts shown and the delicacy of the storytelling has become so uncommon, that some will consider this a minor film. Wrong. Excellent performances andGreat film. The pace and rhythm of this movie is close to masterful. The variety of contexts shown and the delicacy of the storytelling has become so uncommon, that some will consider this a minor film. Wrong. Excellent performances and flawless direction. Remarkably well chosen music, and used very effectively. A great surprise.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
3ebfan511Apr 28, 2019
It was a good movie, but not what I expected based on the previews. It was more like a slow-ish paced art-house film, than a big budget wide-release film. So..it was still good, but more depressing than I was anticipating. Good acting fromIt was a good movie, but not what I expected based on the previews. It was more like a slow-ish paced art-house film, than a big budget wide-release film. So..it was still good, but more depressing than I was anticipating. Good acting from everyone esp McConaughey, and the newcomer kid, who has never acted before. But again I was hoping for more humor or excitement from a wide-release film, and it was much darker than I expected, but still worth seeing if you are in the right mood.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
Compi24Sep 18, 2018
"White Boy Rick" certainly isn't the best version of itself that it could have been, but it's also not a bad one in any regard. The performances, the tone, the ending - it's all very well thought out. Director Yann Demange even somehow"White Boy Rick" certainly isn't the best version of itself that it could have been, but it's also not a bad one in any regard. The performances, the tone, the ending - it's all very well thought out. Director Yann Demange even somehow manages to take an utterly disgusting-looking color palette and turn it into a series of lush-looking images. But back to the version of the film that we ended up getting, I couldn't help but feel as though there was something missing in the delivery of this film on a narrative level. Something about the structure and pacing of this piece ultimately left me feeling - miraculously - as though there were both things to be cut and/or expanded upon all throughout. The result is a decidedly off-kilter experience, with some sequences of the movie being more interesting and easier to watch than others. It's not a perfect film, but the ending and lasting thematic coda helps it solidify itself into the memories of the audiences members. Overall, a good effort, featuring what I unfortunately suspect will become one of Matthew McConnaughey's most overlooked performances.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
bfoore90Sep 23, 2018
Based on a true story, White Boy Rick offers up a truly wonderful Matthew McConaughey performance, solid storytelling and a good cast but missed opportunities with it's script keep the film from being a better version of itself
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
RalfbergsApr 26, 2020
I liked the movie and Matthew is great as always in it. It had me entertained throughout and was a good watch.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
JackusBlackusOct 3, 2018
It is annoying when a movie's trailers misrepresent the movie. White Boy Rick is not a gangster/crime drama or a dark comedy as the trailers portray. It is really much better and more compelling. It is a sad story of a teenager in a poorIt is annoying when a movie's trailers misrepresent the movie. White Boy Rick is not a gangster/crime drama or a dark comedy as the trailers portray. It is really much better and more compelling. It is a sad story of a teenager in a poor broken family growing up in a poor neighborhood in Detroit.

Overall, the movie is decent and the acting is solid. Bel Powley is particularly noteworthy in a supporting role as the sister.

My major complaint about the movie is that it gets sidetracked at the end by calling out the injustice of the outcome. The movie is not about injustice and the detour at the end does not fit.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
DawdlingPoetNov 26, 2021
This is a film which tells an interesting story. The depiction of a teenager getting in with the wrong crowd is certainly not a new story in itself but this has a twist to it. I felt the film seemed quite realistic and indeed the performancesThis is a film which tells an interesting story. The depiction of a teenager getting in with the wrong crowd is certainly not a new story in itself but this has a twist to it. I felt the film seemed quite realistic and indeed the performances are decent - both father and son were well played by the respective actors. McConaughey certainly rocks a mullet type 'do quite well, if I may say so. There is perhaps a somewhat predictable element to the story but it is based on a true story and so it interested me. It is of course a gritty and sobering watch - I wouldn't say its an especially memorable one as such/per se but its certainly worth watching, so yes, I'd recommend it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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