White Boy Rick: McConaughey and Merritt make this true story an excellent watch.
Telling the strange yet totally true story of Rick Wershe Jr., White Boy Rick succeeds in giving views an inside look into the life of the youngest FBI informant and drug kingpin in the U.S. It gives off the generic vibes of a straightforward biopic, but has the substance of an interestingly odd narrative to just want to go a little deeper down the rabbit hole.
This interest is mostly found through the excellent performances from Richie Merritt, who plays the titular character, and Matthew McConaughey as his father. The two share some heartwarming and fun dialogue between each other and have some truly standout moments in the film. Their on-screen relationship feels genuine and really shows how strong the real-life bond was between the Wershe Jr. and Sr. Everyone else rounds out some nice comedic moments and some serious tones.
Themes of family and struggles are also very strong in White Boy Rick as each moment that passes delves a little deeper into life in 1980’s Detroit. White Boy Rick never loses it somber color palette and is filmed in a way that showcases the tough Detroit environment. It’s never overtly depressing or anything and it sheds some light to be both funny and endearing at times.
The film can feel a little jarring at times, though, because of the quick time jumps there are in the Rick’s story and lacks of hand-holding for location changes. Sometimes it’s a little odd how far the film will jump in time and the film can end up feeling a little rushed. These moments are minimal, but can cause viewers to feel a little confused from time to time.
White Boy Rick captures the very real story in a truly genuine way and is actually quite interesting, It’s easy to become invested in the film’s characters as their struggle can feel incredibly real. McConaughey does an excellent job as usual and Merritt also proves himself to be a great actor; especially for his first-time. Whether or not you come out of the film liking or disliking Wershe, many will find themselves loving his story.
Mooreviews 