Painkiller Review: The scripted limited series by Netflix stars Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny and John Rothman in lead roles. The America show has been directed by Peter Berg and produced by Eric Newman, Peter Berg, Alex Gibney and showrunners Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster.
The limited series consists of six episodes, an hour each. The show is based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker article. The supporting cast of the series also includes Jack Mulhern, Sam Anderson, Ana Cruz Kayne, Brian Markinson, Clark Gregg, Noah Harpster, John Ales, Tyler Ritter and Johnny Sneed.
-No Spoilers-
Painkiller Review
There seems to be a recurring problem with most mini-series that are released these days and it is that they can’t solve the problem of over-explaining scandals and situations. Agreed that a lot of the stories that these shows are based on are not globally known but in the case of Peter Berg’s new show, it becomes a serious problem. The show follows state investigator, Edie Flowers (Uzo Aduba), who recounts her findings to the lawyers trying to build a case against the Sackler family of Purdue Pharma.
The series addresses the situation of the Opioid crisis in the mid-1990s. The show takes us through the story through the representation of several real and fictionalised characters. It reveals the introduction of OxyContin, a drug sold by the company that was pushed for massive sales through reps who sold it to the doctors who prescribed it as pain medication to the victims who became addicted to it.
Ahead of each episode, a testimony of a real family member who lost a loved one due to opioid addiction is included. It’s sad to hear the stories of young people who became victims of a pharmaceutical company’s evil plans to knowingly sell a drug that devastated lives. Although after the show starts, it’s not nearly as effective in creating a big impact.
For anyone who has watched Dopesick, which also dug deep into opioid addiction, the new series feels too shallow. For a limited series to create an impact, it must excel in not only pacing the show correctly but also presenting performances that are unbelievably strong. Despite having six episodes to do, the Painkiller Netflix series never really picks itself up.
One of the series’ strongest performances comes from Uzo Aduba who partly also becomes the narrator of the story as she reveals the whole story behind the formation of OxyContin and also as someone who investigates the case. On the other hand, Matthew Broderick who plays the Sackler family patriarch and the mind behind the deadly drug, Richard Sackler isn’t as impressive and at times even feels like a misfit. While he impresses in capturing the unrelentingly selfish and greedy nature of the character, there isn’t more explored.
Despite having a good story at hand, showrunners Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster and director Peter Berg are never able to make the most of it. The biggest pharmaceutical scandal in US history is merely touched upon from above the surface here and while it tries to explore multiple sides of the story, the inconsistent execution makes it a poorly crafted affair.
The whole idea of Aduba’s character narrating the entire story of the investigation feels like a tiring and old approach. The imagery the show tries to present by showing the pill-shaped stuffed toy of OxyContin, showing how vicious things when packaged cutely can easily sell is also too in the face.
What Painkiller misses out on is a tight screenplay that would have focussed more on fleshing out the characters and the crisis in a more detailed manner. In place of that, the show takes a strange route when it tries to capture Broderick’s Sackler’s eccentricities, especially the bizarre hallucinations of his dead uncle, Arthur Sackler (Clark Gregg).
Among all the storylines that the show covers, one argument that truly sticks out and makes you think is the parallel drawn between Edie’s brother, Shawn (Jamaal Grant), a crack dealer who has been imprisoned whereas the reps and the Sacklers enjoying their parties and making a life out of selling a deadly drug to victims.
What was the effect of the opioid crisis on unsuspecting patients who got hooked to a drug they didn’t know would ruin their lives is felt in the show when it follows the story of Glen Kryger (Taylor Kitsch), a mechanic who suffers a back injury and is prescribed OxyContin to help with the pain. The last episode of the show ties up all the loose ends as the investigation against Purdue comes to a crucial point.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying that Dopesick is a far better show to watch if you are looking for a show based on the opioid crisis. The new Netflix limited series never creates the desired impact it does make you question how low capitalism can take us as a humanity. A company makes billions of dollars by selling a drug with a warning that merely relies on the words “believed to be” addictive and disrupts families, kills people and gets them addicted. The shock created by these revelations is certainly something you are left with in the end.
All 6 episodes of the series are now streaming on Netflix.
Also Read: Painkiller Ending Explained: Did Richard Sackler and Purdue Pharma Get Criminally Charged?