White Boy Rick

White Boy Rick by Yann Demange (2018)

A new installment in this series dedicated to films about criminal enterprises.

The true story of a teenager who became an FBI informant, was later arrested for drug trafficking, and ultimately sentenced to life in prison.

“Why do you stay, Dad? In Detroit?” “My boy, the lion doesn’t leave the Serengeti! And besides, this is going to be our year, I can feel it!” (Rick Wershe Sr. & Jr.)

White Boy Rick

On May 27, 1987, Richard Wershe Jr., better known as White Boy Rick, was stopped by Detroit police while transporting 8 kilos of cocaine and $30,000 in cash.

At the time, he was too young to drive, drink alcohol, vote, or buy cigarettes.

Yet he had already been an FBI informant who, exploiting his circle of friends, had been infiltrated into local gangs to help bring down boss Johnny Curry.

Later, they turned him into a drug dealer himself, promising him a share of the profits from the drug sales.

Richard had made a name for himself in the scene but had also attracted a lot of suspicion, culminating in an ambush orchestrated by Curry himself.

One day, a bullet pierced his stomach.

But the real trouble came later when the names of high-ranking officials and politicians began surfacing during the investigation.

That’s when the FBI made a dramatic about-face, abandoning him to his fate without even giving him time to fully understand the situation.

Rick remained convinced, even after his arrest, that he still had some form of protection from the FBI.

That May day in 1987, he left his home hoping to return soon.

In reality, he didn’t. Convicted during the ensuing trial, he remained in prison for 33 years until he was released in 2020.

A Sad Record

He sadly became the longest-incarcerated non-violent juvenile offender in Michigan’s history, betrayed by the same system he had helped expose.

Demange directs a beautiful, gritty, and sufficiently dark noir without making the mistake of making us too attached to the characters.

The reconstruction of the urban environment of a Detroit in the throes of economic recession, where decay, poverty, and misery take center stage, is highly effective and atmospheric.

Where dreams of a better future are killed by the violence and corruption that creeps in, finding fertile ground especially in the streets ruled by African-American gangs and their shady deals.

The focus remains on the personal drama of the protagonist, played by a surprising Richie Merritt, who proves extremely credible in the role, and on those four years that forever changed his life.

Surrounding him is a stellar cast, including Matthew McConaughey in a state of grace as the protagonist’s father and a powerful, embittered Bruce Dern as the grandfather.

Cocaine – The True Story of White Boy Rick is a solid, captivating film.

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