This is a really interesting story that unfortunately the movie never really delivers on. This could just be a case of real life not living up to the Hollywood promise but the movie doesn’t feel grounded enough for that to be the case. Matthew McConaughey of course delivers a great performance and really makes you believe this “lowlife” father is trying to do the right thing by his kids. It is hard to say if Richie Merritt as the titular White Boy Rick either doesn’t have the charisma to carry the film or if the writing and direction just don’t sell it enough. It is worth a watch and it got me interested in the real story, but the movie definitely has the feel of a condensed novel with some important parts missing to make it feel whole. There is a lot of potential but a lot of misses when it comes to character interactions and just how we have gotten from point A to point B.

This had none of the style the trailer made me think it would. Very bland and brings nothing new to the table. The only highlight is Matthew McConaughey's performance. Without him there really wouldn't be any reason to see this.

Drugs are bad mm kay

For some reason, whenever Ricky speaks, he reminds me of Travolta in The Fanatic, he literally sounds brain damaged.

McConaughey and Powley are pretty impressive in this, and the story is kind of interesting, but it all kind of falls flat. It should be much more engaging than it actually is. a big problem for me was the main kid's inauthentic accent, kept pulling me out of the movie and time period, even though everything else around him goes to great pains to portray the period right. It's just okay.

Like others have said the only saving grace for this film is Matthew McConaughey, it's a shame that others don't give a performance anywhere near his. I think it was a poor choice with the casting of the main character, Rick. I found the actor too plain, there wasn't any depth given to the character - it all seemed one-dimensional. Also, the pacing of the film seems really odd, the first half of the film feels rushed, while the second half drags. Because of this, it does a poor job at making you feel invested in these characters.

Overall, I thought this would be better based on the trailer. There's an interesting story in there, with the police/FBI using a minor as an undercover informant. The film just can't make up it's mind whether you should feel sorry for the character Rick, and if so at what point?

Without McConaughey, this would be a flop or at least lose tremendous value. He really brought the impact to the plot. This is once again, another movie by Hollywood portraying drug dealers as heroes. While a nice fantasy, it's not true. The first half of the film was enjoyable, but the latter half lost me and dragged quite a bit.

7 will say I find this film far better than most of the people dropping comments here. Maybe it's because I'm not up on the original story and that I'm not from the usa so I don't know how authentic the accents are, or not. I found the story told well and it gripped from the word go, which is the most important thing for me.

Great performances, excellent cinematography, and decently directed by Yann Demange.

But man, the movie itself is so forgettable. I watched this weeks ago and I completely forgot to login this in. Not only on my Letterboxd, but on my IMDB page, which I usually login first. I don't know what it is. There's so much to admire in this, and yet it keeps slipping out of my mind like a wet soap in someone's hand.

The trailers made this look like it had a lot more substance to it than it actually ended up possessing. McConaughey's and newcomer Merritt's performances were both very well done, and the supporting cast was solid as well, but ultimately it was the story that left a lot to be desired. There wasn't enough here to make you _really_ care about our characters. It was like reading a book report on the facts of the story instead of an attempt at getting you to emotionally connect. The most egregious example of this is the gigantic anti-climax that closed out the film. When the credits started to roll I was legitimately surprised as I didn't feel like we'd reached the climax of the story yet. I feel like there could be a great story here, but this version of it just wasn't all that interesting.

Another story of injustice, and despite some of the comments on this page, this is a film worth watching. The performances are good, the story is interesting, and while narratively loose at times, it still manages to engage.

The best stories are still written by real life !!

As the youngest spy to date for the FBI, he rose with their help to become a respected drug dealer in Detroit at the age of 15. At 17, a man caught him with 8 kilos of cocaine, which at the time earned him a life sentence without parole.

The FBI denied any cooperation with a minor. In July 2020, after 30 years in prison, he was released for good conduct, making him the longest incarcerated nonviolent drug dealer in the history of the state of Florida.

Unfortunately, the film doesn't follow this incredible story by Rick Wershe Jr. fair.

As always, a great portrayal by Matthew McConaughey.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, a lot of the story remains open or not explained in detail, which is a shame.

Nevertheless, the film is recommendable for a good evening.

Movie about a white kid that looks like Jack Harlow lite, fitting in with black people, and being accused as a snitch. Would have been better if the kid could act. I heard about this because of what a great performer this new kid was. He sucks.