White Boy Rick is a biographical crime drama film inspired by true events that took place in the 1980s. The movie follows the life of Richard Wershe Jr., a teenager living in Detroit with his father, Richard Wershe Sr., and his sister, Dawn.
Richard Jr. becomes an undercover informant for the FBI and assists them in their investigations which leads to several drug busts. However, as he gets more involved in undercover work, he also becomes more involved in the drug trade himself. He starts selling drugs to make money for his struggling family and to gain the trust of the drug dealers he's working to take down.
Despite his assistance to law enforcement, Richard Jr. is ultimately arrested and given a life sentence for drug-trafficking. The movie shows the struggles of his family as they try to free him from prison, while also exposing corruption within the justice system.
The movie is directed by Yann Demange and stars newcomer Richie Merritt as Richard Jr., alongside Mathew McConaughey as Richard Sr. and Jennifer Jason Leigh as FBI Agent Snyder. The film received mixed reviews from critics but was praised for its performances and realistic portrayal of a flawed justice system.