To this day, drug use in the United States remains a significant issue and a major health concern, with the pattern of substance abuse on the rise in almost every category of drugs, including both legal and illegal substances. Research shows the socioeconomic status, cultural background, and demographic have major effects on the prevalence of the drugs. These movies follow the stories of addiction, drug-use, rehabilitation, with themes such as emphasis on family and friendships, addiction education, and emotional trauma to reflect the true reality of addiction and what effect it could have on someone’s personal and interpersonal life.
At Health Fitness Revolution, our mission is to empower people to make healthier lifestyle choices and raise awareness about the issues that impact well-being. Highlighting these films is part of that mission, as they bring to light the severe consequences of substance abuse while educating and inspiring viewers to prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional health. By addressing the harsh realities of addiction, we aim to encourage healthy alternatives and foster a stronger, more informed society.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, know that help is available. Resources like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline (1-800-662-HELP) offer free, confidential support 24/7.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Darren Aranofsky’s masterpiece based on the novel by the same name by Hubert Selby Jr. is by all means not an easy watch. The horrifying and dark imagery of addiction and insanity that is portrayed makes this a one-time-only watch for most viewers. The plot follows four different but connected plotlines all evolving around some sort of drug abuse. Sara is caught up in amphetamines and slowly driven into madness in order to get thinner to fit in a red dress, her son Harry the heroin addict who is desperate for money, Harry’s friend Tyrone who is caught up in drug deals and mafia shootouts, and Marion, Harry’s girlfriend with a cocaine addiction that leads her to prostitution for money.
The dark, scary, and devastating visuals and scenarios ensure to cover all aspects of drug abuse and actually give the audience a taste of the everyday lives of addicts while criticizing on the prevalence of drug use and it’s accessibility in America, specially regarding prescribed weight-loss drugs. Ellen’s Burstyn’s breathtaking performance as Sarah who is desperate to lose weight and is being driven insane is both horrifying and sympathetic as it’s the real and actual portrayal of many lives in America.
IMDB Score: 8.3/10
Trainspotting (1996)
Considered one of the greatest movies of the 90’s, Trainspotting follows a group of four friends in Edinburgh as they navigate the highs and lows of addiction, poverty and friendship. The comical and humorous tone and at the same time brutally honest and dark themes make up for a great contrast in the movie exploration as it dives deep into the consequences of their tragic lives in the depressing setting of low-income Scotland.
Familiar to the Basketball Diaries, the movie follows the pattern of following a group of people entangled in each other’s lives and addictions, rather than focus on the personal experience. It also highlights the impact of drugs on the brain, as it follows stories of overdose, withdrawal, and despair and showcases the depths that the addicts will follow for a quick release, aka “shooting up”, remarking the infamous “toilet” scene.
IMDB Score: 8.1/10
Beautiful Boy (2018)
This rollercoaster of a movie explores the relationship between a father and son amidst the son’s heroin addiction and the father’s constant attempts of helping him get sober. The movie is the true story of father and son David and Nic Sheff based on their memoirs Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Meth Addiction and his son’s Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines.
The main plot line follows the father and son through their journey as they try to get Nic sober. But it quickly shifts as the plot gets darker when Nic refuses to sober up. This is a different movie in the genre in the sense that in addition to exploring the dark visuals and hyper realistic scenes of “shooting up”, this story also focuses on the reality of rehabilitation and falling off the wagon. Instead of victim blaming, the story focuses on the addict as someone sick who is in desperate need of help but can’t see it and will only truly accept help when they are ready. The movie explores this horrific truth that families of addicts go through on a daily basis and both Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet portray the struggles of the addict and the pain their closest people go through because of them in a painful but realistic manner.
IMDB Score: 7.4/10
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
This biographical sport thriller adopted from the book of the same name by Jim Carroll, follows the story of Jim played by a young Leonardo DiCaprio living his life as a high school basketball star with an artistic passion in a lower income area of Manhattan. The pressure of high school basketball and the death of his best friend from leukemia along with a mischievous circle of friends leads Jim to start using heroin, and soon after, he finds himself homeless, estranged, and trying to survive in the streets of New York.
The movie specifically focuses on the prevalence of drug use among young adults and the gateways that lead to them entering this path but also, it showcases the social and cultural aspects that sometimes are impactful in the prevalence of drug use. For example, it showcased how easier access to drugs is and how it’s normal using them among young adults in low-income neighborhoods or lower SES, or how having a negative group of friends can lure someone into using hard drugs and impact their lives forever.
IMDB Score: 7.3/10
The Dirt (2019)
A hard-watch for music fans, the movie is based on the autobiography The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band, a collaborative work between the members of Rock group Mötley Crüe. The film follows the story of each member of the band from their early start in the early 80’s, quickly becoming one the most successful rock bands across the world, which gets them into a lot of trouble. In pop culture, rock bands using and abusing alcohol and drugs have been depicted as normal, but Motley Crue took it to another level. The movie showcases the absolute trainwreck this group’s members were in the sense of alcohol consumption, hard drug-use, and public disturbances.
Interestingly enough, most of the band members are depicted as good people in general who are passionate about their music but also are blind to not see the effects of everything that they’re going through and putting everyone through. This movie also looks at the drug culture in Hollywood celebrities and the music industry in the 80’s with cameos of characters such as Ozzy Osbourne, legendary rock star. This portrayal dives into the real events that shaped America’ understanding of Rock n’ Roll and Rock musicians and how negatively it impacted the drug culture in the country.
IMDB Score: 7/10
