This is the third major production to recount the horrors, outrage and devastation of America's opioid epidemic with the Sackler family's highly addictive Oxycontin at the center of the storm. HBO's 2021 documentary, "The Crime of the Century" is a top-notch four-hour mini-series that walks us through the origins, nuances, impact and current status of the Oxy wave. The at the end of 2021, Hulu released an excellent, 8-hour dramatization of the Oxy crisis with Michael Keaton starring in Dopesick. So, when Netflix comes along almost two years later with another dramatization, it begs the questions: Why? Is it better or worse or just different?
Sadly, other than a raucous and symbolic Miami party we didn't see in Dopesick, Painkiller's writer and director make some head scratching choices that interfere with the multi-POV story they're trying to tell. For example, the lead actress has one-note for six hours, burning hot, righteous outrage. This gets old after a while. Later we learn more about the reason for her rage but by then we're already exhausted. The performances by Matthew Broderick and Taylor Kitsch are better than the script material they're given. But the director insists on weird and irritating music choices, distracting and disorienting camera shots (yes, I understand the attempt to replicate disorientation and drug intoxication. But the kaleidoscope effect is overused in many other situations to annoying effect. Finally, the story telling in this six-hour version of the tales of Oxycontin, doesn't cohere, instruct and hold our interest the way Dopesick did. It's unfair to compare the two, but it's unavoidable. Painkiller comes up lacking and feels like an unnecessary knockoff.
P. S. One powerful addition Painkiller does have is real life grieving parents and loved ones who lost family to this horrible scourge introduce each episode. This is very powerful and a memorable choice. By far, the best choice of the production team.
Sadly, other than a raucous and symbolic Miami party we didn't see in Dopesick, Painkiller's writer and director make some head scratching choices that interfere with the multi-POV story they're trying to tell. For example, the lead actress has one-note for six hours, burning hot, righteous outrage. This gets old after a while. Later we learn more about the reason for her rage but by then we're already exhausted. The performances by Matthew Broderick and Taylor Kitsch are better than the script material they're given. But the director insists on weird and irritating music choices, distracting and disorienting camera shots (yes, I understand the attempt to replicate disorientation and drug intoxication. But the kaleidoscope effect is overused in many other situations to annoying effect. Finally, the story telling in this six-hour version of the tales of Oxycontin, doesn't cohere, instruct and hold our interest the way Dopesick did. It's unfair to compare the two, but it's unavoidable. Painkiller comes up lacking and feels like an unnecessary knockoff.
P. S. One powerful addition Painkiller does have is real life grieving parents and loved ones who lost family to this horrible scourge introduce each episode. This is very powerful and a memorable choice. By far, the best choice of the production team.