White Boy Rick (2018)

[baumer]

Hello

[SteveJaros]

I saw WBR yesterday and liked it quite a bit. Gritty, well-acted (especially by the teenagers, don't let the reviews that praise Matthew McCanaughy fool you, he's not the reason to see this), a compelling story, and it doesn't drag on too long.

 

A solid B+ film, well worth seeing. 

[filmlover]

This was underwhelming. Maybe it would've worked as a miniseries, but in a 110 minute movie it just feels unfocused and condensed, perhaps because Richard Wershe Jr.'s story just isn't engaging enough to build an entire story around. But it suffers from other issues as well, like its weak attempts at recreating the era it's supposed to be depicting (it takes place in the mid-80s but often gives off the appearance as if it were the 70s). It's hard to say if the flat lead performance from Richie Merritt in his first major acting gig is because of him or because of the uneven script's treatment of the character, but it leaves a lot to be desired nonetheless. He's overshadowed by a terrific Matthew McConaughey in what feels like his best work since Interstellar. This is another instance of the trailer being much better than the movie it's selling. C