As teenagers, many of us spent our time going to school, hanging out with friends, and maybe working a part time job or doing extracurricular activities. The bulk of our fromative years were made up of little things that all seemed big at the time. Most of us cannot claim to have been drug kingpins who were also working as informants for the FBI; however, that's exactly how Richard Wershe Jr. spent his teenage years. Matthew McConaughey's new movie White Boy Rick is based on the true story of the teenager who, back in the 1980s, lived a far crazier life in his youth than most people do in their lifetimes. The first trailer for White Boy Rick has debuted and it is every bit as wild and fun as that premise would suggest. Check it out below:
The big thing that stands out about this trailer is how well it seems to balance the different aspects of this story and strike a flexible tone. The trailer is a lot of fun and starts off with some comedy, as Matthew McConaughey's character barges in with an AK-47 while spouting about the dangers of drug use. This is ridiculous, but also sets the stage for the strained family life and rough Detroit environment that makes the seductive drug-dealing lifestyle so appealing to a young and impressionable kid just wanting to succeed and do right by his family.
Something about this trailer also makes this movie feel very real. Even though it is a crazy story, the characters and interactions all seem authentic and believable. More than just being a standard story about a life of crime, White Boy Rick comes off as both a family drama about a father and his son both looking for a way to get ahead but each having different methods, both of questionable legality, to doing so. This rags to riches story seems to have real humor and fun to it, with an entertaining cast of characters while also conveying the very real costs a criminal lifestyle can have. The big thing that this trailer doesn't show much of Rick's dealings with the FBI and how he becomes an informant, but better to keep some of the story held back.
This trailer also shows what a great cast this film has lined up. Matthew McConaughey looks to be adding another quote-worthy character to his canon with his performance in this film as the wild Richard Wershe Sr. White Boy Rick also boasts the talents of Oscar nominees Bruce Dern and Jennifer Jason Leigh, as well as Deadpool 2's Eddie Marsan, Atlanta's Brian Tyree Henry and newcomer Richie Merritt as the titular character.
Incredible true crime stories often lend themselves to cinematic adaptation and White Boy Rick isn't the only one hitting theaters this year. American Animals is now in limited release and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman arrives in August. White Boy Rick is directed by Yann Demange and hustles into theaters on September 21st. For all of the biggest movies hitting theaters in the back half of the year, check out our release schedule.
