White Boy Rick

Fact-based story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt), who picks up his street-smart ways from his father, Richard Sr. (Matthew McConaughey). Richard Jr. starts selling guns under his father’s guidance and eventually becomes an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s. Not to give away any major spoiler alerts or anything, it’s pretty clear from the movie’s trailer this happens anyway, but Richard Jr. ultimately is arrested for drug-trafficking and is sentenced to life in prison. It’s a pretty glum, depressing flick, but the direction, writing, character development, and acting are all top notch. Newcomer Merritt’s big screen debut shows much promise and it will be great to see what comes of him in the future. Critics and the media seem to be quite tough on McConaughey in regards to this film and his performance in it, but I’m not quite getting that. Did the movie not draw in the crowd they were expecting? I’m not sure how this type of film would – it’s not a crowd pleaser by any means. However, McConaughey’s performance was fine. He can still act. He didn’t just start acting horribly one day because some pop culture snob, some know-nothing critic said the “McConaissance,” some made up bullshit, was over.