Set in a 1980s Detroit inflicted by the crack epidemic and Reagan’s ‘War on Drugs,’ Yann Demange’s “White Boy Rick” tells the true story of Rick Wershe, a working-class father, who also happened to be an arms dealer, (played by the always excellent Matthew McConaughey) and the bond he built with his troubled, drug-dealing, teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt). Junior ended up working for the FBI as an informant before being abandoned by them and sentenced to life in prison. 

Demange’s film White Boy Rick is anchored by yet another high-level performance from the 48-year-old McConaughey who has now built up a solid body of work ever since the famous McConaissance started in 2011 with “The Lincoln Lawyer.” His work here, as a man torn between family and the law, is another note-worthy addition to an impressive filmography that only grows in stature with every movie.