Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- tense
- bleak
- crime movie night
- true crime viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the cast, especially Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt, compelling enough to offset a script viewed as underdeveloped and uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story follows Richard Wershe Jr.'s progression from teenage informant to drug dealer and imprisoned figure.
FBI handlers use teenage Rick as an undercover informant and subsequently abandon him.
The plot is explicitly situated within the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs in 1980s Detroit.
Rick's blue-collar family circumstances and his father's involvement frame his movement into criminal networks.
Films like White Boy Rick, and why
City of God
shares a gritty crime drama approach, biographical subject matter, and young protagonist drawn into drug trafficking
American Gangster
shares a fact-based crime narrative centered on institutional corruption, law enforcement pressure, and moral compromise
King of New York
shares a 1980s urban crime setting, drug-war themes, and a troubled young person navigating criminal institutions
The Infiltrator
shares a grounded biographical crime drama style focused on family loyalty, policing, and systemic injustice
Movie Details
- Director
- Yann Demange
- Release Date
- 2018-09-14
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (1237)
Cast
- Matthew McConaughey
- Richie Merritt
- Jennifer Jason Leigh
- Bel Powley
- RJ Cyler
- Rory Cochrane
- Eddie Marsan
- Bruce Dern
- Piper Laurie
- Brian Tyree Henry
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is White Boy Rick about?
- A Detroit teenager becomes an FBI informant and drug dealer, exposing the human cost of institutional betrayal during the crack epidemic.
- What is White Boy Rick like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of White Boy Rick as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is White Boy Rick violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in White Boy Rick as moderate.
- What did critics think of White Boy Rick?
- Critics broadly found the cast, especially Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt, compelling enough to offset a script viewed as underdeveloped and uneven.
- Which films are like White Boy Rick?
- Films with a similar feel include City of God, American Gangster, King of New York, and The Infiltrator.
- How long is White Boy Rick?
- White Boy Rick runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch White Boy Rick?
- In United States, White Boy Rick streams on Starz Apple TV channel.
