Feb 16 2009
10 Awesome Movies about Drug Addiction
Whether you’re a drug user or not, if you want to watch a movie that can make you sick to your stomach, watch a drug addiction movie. I think one of the main draws to these movies is not only the excess they portray, but these movies dive into worlds that we never thought were possible.
I mean when you think your life is down, just see what happens to people who you think have lives twice as good as yours get completely wrecked by their addictions. It’s truly disturbing and yet these movies are very important to relay how destructive drug addiction can be.
Here are 10 great movies about drug addiction.
Less than Zero
Interesting that in real life, this movie was pretty damned accurate concerning Robert Downey Jr.’s life. Downey plays a guy named Julian who comes from a wealthy family in Beverly Hills. Julian is involved with his ex best friend’s ex girlfriend Blair. Blair warns his ex best friend, Clay, about Julian’s problems. The movie gets pretty graphic and you certainly question the use of drugs. It gave great exposure to the drug lives of young wealthy post college grads.
Rush
Just a disturbing movie all around. Jason Patric plays an undercover cop set to bust a girl named Kristen (Jennifer Jason Leigh) when he winds up getting addicted himself and falling in love with Leigh in the process.
Trainspotting
One of my favorite movies about drug addiction, Trainspotting explores heroin at its finest. The process of getting the drug, the ritual of doing the drug, and how the drug sucks you back in time after time. And the backdrop is the poor town on Edinburgh. Excellent supporting cast in Ewen McGregor’s first spotlight movie.
Permanent Midnight
This movie just messed me up all around. Ben Stiller did an excellent job going from comedic actor to serious drug addict role. There’s just too much detail in this movie for me to handle. Lots of needle and insertion of needles. And the scene in the office where Stiller and dealer are jumping against windows is insane.
Requiem for a Dream
Four people who are doing their best in the world wind up succumbing to drugs. Despite the fact they have lofty aspirations, these four people wind up getting into the dirtiest, and most disturbing parts of the drug underworld. One of Arnofsky’s finest cinematic accomplishments, Requiem remains and will remain a cult classic. Great soundtrack too.
Traffic
Traffic takes a look at drugs from all angles. From the source, to the fight against drugs, to drugs in the home, Traffic is one of the finest movies about drugs in history. Of the three angles of drugs the movie portrays, I particularly find Erica Christensen’s character to relate to this article. The movie sort of gives the message of “it just goes to show you, even the best and brightest can get sucked into the world of drugs.” And not only that, be taken to the worst places imaginable, all under the eye of a drug czar.
Pure
In short the movie is about a boy who is trying to deal with his mother’s heroin addiction. His mother is dependent on a pimp and dealer which forces the boy (who is 10) to take care of his mother and younger brother. Even though he’s so young, the boy takes serious action to prevent his mother from dying (as his father did).
The Basketball Diaries
Great look at a true story here. Leonardo Dicaprio plays a star basketball player and poet who falls into the sordid world of drug addiction in Manhattan. He goes from being a high school phenom to complete junkie in a matter of months resorting to violence, stealing, and selling his own body just for a hit. It’s an excellent story and Dicaprio is excellent (as is Mark Wahlberg as his prick friend).
Drugstore Cowboy
A “heroin driven” Bonnie and Clyde. A couple must finance their drug habit and to do so they rob drug stores. Eventually however, luck runs out.
Midnight Cowboy
One of the first movies that portrayed gritty, urban heroin addiction with all its associated despair on full display. It remains one of Dustin Hoffman’s finest roles, and the only movie with an “X” rating to ever receive an Academy Award for Best Picture.
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There are some classics in here and they all have excellent acting. I have to say one film that iI saw which doesnt really do the right thing for drug addiction is Spun its just not really shocking for the topic. It does have a great Visual aspect to it but it really is too silly to be taken seriously as a movie about drug addiction.
Maybe thats why Spun never made it to the Top 10. I liked the film in part. The boring, mundane, all on everyday nonsense of using, the wiredness and weirdness. Good cameo from Debbie Harry too.
I liked “28 days”. Sandra Bullock in Rehab with a idiot very English boyfriend who doesn’t want to see her changing.
Requiem for a Dream has to be the number one for me, the part of the mother was so graphic and sad, very well played. Yes the soundtrack is good and really drives the imagery along well.
OMG YOU FORGOT FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS.
“You can turn your back on a man, but never turn your back on a drug” - Hunter S Thompson.
Your a Tourist…Everybody hates a Tourist.
come on man….you forgot PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK, with al pacino…classic movie on drug addiction…check it out sometime.
To the guy that mentioned fear and loathing- that movie wasn’t about drug addiction, it was about drug binging. Besides a lot of the drugs they were doing weren’t even addictive (ex: mescaline, lsd, amyl nitrate, and cannabis, and ether).
In Rush, Patric is trying to bust the character Gaines. Leigh is his partner.
Nice list, some movies I have not seen and will have to check out I think.
I would recommend Adam and Paul as a must see about drug addiction also. It’s a very sad but also funny movie about 2 heroin addicts living in Dublin.
all u idiots forgot sid and nancy
The movie called Fix
Have to agree with Evan above. In the film ‘Rush’, both Jason Patric’s character and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s are undercover police officers, and they are both set to the task of busting a ring of drug criminals from petty dealers to the more powerful trafficker. (I won’t spoil it with any more details than that.)
You forgot candy and requiem for a dream. candy is amazing though one of heath ledgers last movies. i absolutely love it, im reading the book now.
Maria Full of Grace is fantastic. Different tone from many of the movies listed above.
you missed Blow
blow
fear and loathing in las vegas
scarface
the trip
easy rider
lock stock and 2 smoking barrels
jacob’s ladder
Spun
The List is good. I would ad Nacked Lunch as well as The Doors and Dune. Breaking on through to the other side is a deeply implemented wish of every human being in this universe.
mmm..good list….Meg Ryan and Alex Rodriguiz “When a Man Loves a Woman…is a good one..and also…Clean and Sober with beattle juice guy…what’s his name..oh yeah Michael Keaton…
Sid and Nancy
what about Blow
Christiane F
Thank you Evan and Amy, for making the correction on Rush. I really like that movie.
And thank you Kampi, for including Naked Lunch - which is a must, I think.
CANDY — watch it!
fear and loathing in las vegas !! the trip from the 70’s !
did we miss a “THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM” circa 1950 staring Frank Sinatra / if this made the canon of these movies, we’d have a better sense of the history of heroine use. Still a posting of relevance… thanks
Don’t forget “Clean and Sober”. Michael Keaton, doing a terrific - and manic - turn as a cocaine addict, wakes up one morning to find his girlfriend dead from an overdose. He has a really clever idea - he’ll hide out in a rehab facility and have his coke delivered there (addicts are like that - full of clever ideas).
Mc aurthur Park is a great one and so is Party Monster with M. Caulkin.
Tu as oublier: “Pulp fiction” (you forgot this movie)
requiem for a dream and trainspotting are my favourites films!