Dopesick (released in 2021) follows the story of the rise of the opiod epidemic in the U.S. caused by OxyContin, the "miracle drug" supposed to revolutionize how pain was treated at the time. The plot takes us from the onset of the idea to the heavy marketing strategy devised by its manufacturer, to how certain agents started suspecting and investigating Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family.
I remember having just arrived in Washington D.C. when the scandal surrounding the Sackler family was in full swing, together with its donations to various institutions, one being the Sackler gallery located in the National Mall. Many museums have since removed the family's name from their galleries.
Michael Keaton plays Dr. Samuel Finnix, a man who loves and tends to his community and is lured into trying the drug with his patients thanks to the charming pitch of Purdue representative Billy Cutler (played by Will Poulter). At the same time, the trail OxyContin leaves behind is hard to hide for the prosecutors and DEA agents.
The rise in crime in small cities first, sounds an alarm for which the whole country should be bracing for.
With outstanding performances, Dopesick will enlighten its audience about the OxyContin abuse in American society and the unscrupulous power grab of the Sackler's to become one of America's richest families.
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