In addition to providing amusement, movies serve as a mirror of society, reflecting its socioeconomic and cultural atmosphere and shedding light on topics that are frequently hidden. The drug problem, which has persisted since society’s beginning and is frequently ignored, is one such phenomenon. People frequently avoid discussing about drug misuse because they believe it is a taboo subject and are afraid of the repercussions it may have on society and on mankind as a whole. These movies take on the issue head-on and show drug addiction truthfully.
Beautiful Boy (2018)
Contrary to conventional assumption, Beautiful Boy takes a radically different approach to the idea that depression is what drives drug use. The movie, which is based on Nic Sheff’s life and his connection with his devoted father, depicts Nic’s teenage years as he battles his meth addiction and tries to get by with the aid of his loving father. Beautiful Boy is a compelling film that examines addiction from an empathic perspective.
Enter The Void (2009)
One of Gaspar Noé’s most notable pieces of literature is Enter The Void. The movie mimics Noé’s typical artistic cliches while portraying a hallucinogenic vision of what life would be like beyond death. The movie is set in Tokyo, where American drug dealer Oscar is killed during a drug bust after being betrayed by his friend. The rest of the movie is subsequently presented solely from Oscar’s perspective as his spirit travels through time, from the past to the present to the future.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
The epic black comedy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is based on the Hunter S. Thompson book of the same name. Throughout the course of its nearly two-hour running duration, the film, which is powered by a combination of drugs and anarchy, shows a wide variety of illegal substances. Director Terry Gilliam wants to highlight the amusing absurdity that results when half-numb people struggle to function on a boatload of drugs, even though addiction is considerably more serious and darker than is depicted in the movie.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
The great actor portrays Ratso Rizzo, a heroin addict who lives on the margins with his friend Joe Buck, in one of his best portrayals. The movie shows these two scumbags falling for the seduction and charm of heavy narcotics like heroin as they stumble through the city with fantasies in their eyes. When Midnight Cowboy was first released, it astonished viewers with its unvarnished and frank depiction of life on the margins and went on to win the Oscar Award for Best Film.
Naked Lunch (1991)
Naked Lunch, a bizarre cult movie that is based on the same-named William S. Burroughs novel, shows the irrationality that addiction causes. The cult director David Cronenberg’s movie centres on a peculiar kind of medicine called pest poison. As odd as they come, Naked Lunch attempts to give the spectator a glimpse inside the psyche of a user by depicting some terrible circumstances.
Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982)
The Wall, a song by Pink Floyd’s renowned vocalist Roger Waters, centres on Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof as Pink, a fictional rock hero. Pink builds a wall to protect himself after becoming so famous that it drives him nuts. The movie can be seen as an experimental independent production that explores a variety of subjects like sex, the suffering of war, and narcotics, all while the band’s music is playing in the background.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Requiem for a Dream by Darren Aronofsky, arguably one of the scariest movies ever made about drug use, examines addiction through a variety of age groups and populations. The movie gives a startling insight into why people act the way they do by using drugs as a tool to highlight the more important problems that humans confront.
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
The Basketball Diaries is an adaptation of Jim Carroll’s eponymous autobiographical book. The movie, in which Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jim, details the author/early musician’s years of heroin addiction. DiCaprio portrays an adolescent junkie who is trying to grasp life and reality admirably. One of the most powerful and accurate depictions of drug usage and its long-term effects is seen in this heartbreaking movie.
The Panic in Needle Park (1971)
Al Pacino gained fame thanks to the film The Panic in Needle Park. In his first leading role, Pacino portrayed Bobby, an addict who wanders about Needle Park with his girlfriend Helen in search of their next score. Bobby and Helen are drawn deeper into a web of desperation and betrayal as they grow increasingly reliant on one another and heroin.
Trainspotting (1996)
Danny Boyle, the director of Trainspotting for PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, establishes the mood of the movie by ranting at the beginning about the problems with everyday life before having Renton, the main character, finish in a cathartic fashion, “Who needs reasoning when you’ve got heroin?” Cut to more than 20 years later, and it is clear that Trainspotting had a significant cultural impact. Boyle expertly portrays the spirit of British poverty and uses it as a springboard for elucidating the drug addict’s mental state.
