White Boy Rick [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray]

Director: Yann Demange Yann Demange

Overview

In 1980s Detroit, white teenager Rick Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt) sees an opportunity to get his family out of poverty by joining up in the cocaine operation taking place in his predominantly African-American neighborhood. He then becomes the youngest FBI informant in history when he's recruited by government officials to take down the drug ring from the inside. Directed by Yann Demange. Based on a true story. Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Tyree Henry, and RJ Cyler co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/25/2018
UPC:	0043396521315
Original Release:	2018
Rating:	R
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:51:00
Sales rank:	22,858

Special Features

Deleted scenes; Making-Of; The unknown true story of Rick Wershe Jr.; The three tribes of Detroit: the cast; And More!

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Matthew McConaughey	Richard Wershe Sr.
Richie Merritt	Rick
Bel Powley	Dawn Wershe
Jennifer Jason Leigh	Actor
Brian Tyree Henry	Actor
Rory Cochrane	Actor
RJ Cyler	Rudell Curry
Bruce Dern	Ray Wershe
Jonathan Majors	Actor
Piper Laurie	Actor
Ishmael "Ishdarr" Ali	"Freaky Steve" Rousell
James Howard	Chief Homicide Inspector
YG	Actor
Danny Brown	"Black Ed" Hanserd
Taylour Paige	Actor
Kyanna Simone Simpson	Actor
Morerice Thornton	Jamil Cannon
Isaiah Ali	Demetrius Johnson
E'Xavion Walker	Clarence Bishop
Santos Velasquez	FBI Agent Crespo
LaShawn Little	Leon Lucas
Ronald Williams, Jr.	Frankie Lucas
Anthony Woods	Damian Lucas
James Shinkle	William Bufalino Jr.
Peter Jones	Judge Thomas Jackson,Willie Volsan
Jim Yost	Policeman
Brad Carter	Gun Show Dealer Bob
Dan Weniger	Composer
Lauren Berry	Caesar's Ticket Lady
Meg Rasmussen	Gun Show Annie
Carmen Gangale	Juror Foreman
Eddie Marsan	Actor
Pamela Morton	Juror #1
Raekwon Haynes	Actor
Cassandra Collier-Williams	Juror #2
Michael Smith	Juror #3
William Bower	Juror #4
Jerrod Primm	Crack House Doorman
David Lozada	Corrections Officer
Jerry Slomka	Guard
DeVito Parker, Jr.	Marcus
Lawrence Adimora	Tyler Finney
Velma Booker	Mrs. Angela
Art Terry	Mayor Coleman Young
Donald Scruggs, lll	TJ
Joe Gallipoli	Sheriff
Ahmad Thomas	Isaac "Doc" Mueller
Heidi Sulzman	Blonde Gun Buyer
Leigh Kilton Smith	Ginger
Donald White	Jimmy Harris
Ishmael Muslim Ali	'Freaky Steve' Roussell

Technical Credits

Andy Weiss

Logan Miller

Steve Kloves

Yann Demange	Director
Andy Weiss	Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Logan Miller	Screenwriter,Screenwriter,Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Ari Handel	Executive Producer
Steve Kloves	Screenwriter
John Lesher	Producer
Darren Aronofsky	Producer
Julie Yorn	Producer
Scott Franklin	Producer
Georgia Kacandes	Executive Producer
Christopher Mallick	Executive Producer
Matthew Krul	Executive Producer,Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

White Boy Rick, directed by Yann Demange and written by Andy Weiss, Logan Miller, and Noah Miller, is a true crime drama and cautionary tale with commentary on both police and political corruption. While the setup is solid, there are too many elements at play, and the script ends up unable to do them all justice. Richard "Rick" Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt) is an informant for the FBI during the cocaine epidemic in 1980s Detroit. When the FBI cuts their ties to Rick after managing their bust, he stays in the seedy underworld and becomes a drug kingpin who meets his downfall through both just and corrupt components of the system. Though the material is decent, many important details are left out or glossed over in montages. The hurried nature of the storytelling leaves the viewer feeling as though they have watched a synopsis rather than a complete story. A few more well-developed details in place of fluff would make for a more satisfying watch. The principal players shine brightly under Demange's direction. Matthew McConaughey gives one of the best performances of his career as Rick's father, a man looking to pull his family out of a lower-class wasteland and ultimately seeking salvation for his son. Merritt, with no prior acting experience, brings down-to-earth realism to a larger-than-life character and stands out as the real joy of the production. Conversely, the performances from the supporting cast are far from notable. Exceptions to this are veteran actor Bruce Dern as Rick's grandfather, and a breakout performance by Bel Powley as Rick's sister, Dawn, whose embodiment of a strung-out junkie desperate to escape a bleak reality impacted the overall feel of desperation in the film. The grittiness of the world the Wershes inhabit is accentuated by the cinematography. The home movie quality of the filming, including the occasional shaky hand, gives the feeling that the viewer is there, and part of that world. The music deepens this sensation, particularly during scenes involving the glitz associated with the lives of major players in the drug trade. White Boy Rick provides two hours of entertainment and does a decent enough job depicting the lifestyle of the time. It also addresses just how easily poverty can cause someone to sink to levels they would not otherwise consider, and how quickly the player can become the played. What it fails to present is a fully fleshed out story, which is why the film falls short of what it could have been.