Detroit, 1980s, in full swing of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs. Richard Wershe Sr. (Matthew McConaughey) is the father of a teenager, Richard Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt), known as White Boy Rick, who at age 14 became an undercover FBI informant. The life of this lower-middle-class family changes completely when young Rick is forced into the world of drugs to carry out his mission. When the FBI no longer needed him, the young man was charged with a drug offense and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Movie based on real events directed by Yann Demange (’71, Alleged Guilty) and featuring a cast consisting of debutant Richie Merritt, in addition to actors Matthew McConaughey (The Dark Tower), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Patrick Melrose), Brian Tyree Henry (The Blues of Beale Street), Bel Powley (Informer), Eddie Marsan (The Vice of Power), Rory Cochrane (Hostiles) and Bruce Dern (The Hateful Eight).