Sophie Johnson
Netflix’s new limited series Painkiller, which was released on August 10, documents the involvement of the Sackler family in America’s opioid crisis. Based on actual events, the show tells us about the marketing of OxyContin and its effect on families across the United States.
Painkiller is based on the New Yorker article ‘The Family That Built an Empire of Pain’ and the subsequent book Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic. The six-episode series takes us through the beginning of the opioid crisis, focusing on Purdue Pharma, the creators of OxyContin.
“A grief-stricken testimony from someone who has lost a loved one”
In the show, we see the initial marketing of the drug. There is a strong sense of dramatic irony as the characters are unaware of the effect OxyContin will have on their lives. As information starts to leak, an investigation gets underway, leading to a legal case. This series feels much like an angrier version of HBO’s Dopesick, which came out two years ago, with each episode starting with a real grief-stricken testimony from someone who has lost a loved one – usually a child.
What is the opioid epidemic?
America’s opioid crisis is the rapid increase in misuse, overuse/overprescription, and overdose deaths from opioid drugs. These figures have been snowballing since the 1990s, and the term includes the social, economic, and medical consequences that occur as a result. Some of the most common opioids include Percocet, Vicodin, and OxyContin, which this series focuses on.
OxyContin is a prescription painkiller. Usually, it is a time-release capsule containing Oxycodone, a type of opioid similar to heroin. Therefore, it has highly addictive properties and is commonly abused.
As seen in the final episode of the series, the number of deaths caused by these drugs is very high. Painkiller tells us how it is estimated that almost 300,000 people have died from prescription painkiller overdoses in the last 20 years. Even now, every day in the US over 40 people die from overdose.
The casting
The cast features Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, and Uzo Aduba, who all play their parts to an amazing level of detail. Matthew Broderick’s character, Richard Sackler, is so well-acted that it really makes you see how terrible of a person he is portraying.
Although the show tells a very real story, some characters are fictionalised. They represent the types of people whose lives were affected by the crisis.
“Uses her despair for the situation as a driving force”
Aduba takes the star-of-the-show title for me. When we first meet her, she is a burnt-out woman explaining everything she knows to the newest round of lawyers wanting to make a difference. She describes each of the sins of the Sackler family throughout the show with a passion and fury that emphasises what a talent Aduba really is. However, as the show develops and we see her more, we can see how she was so crucial in taking the family to trial. She uses her despair of the situation as a driving force. This keeps her determined to uncover all the information she can about Purdue. Ultimately, this works in her favour as she is able to find the crime and take the Sacklers to court.
Audience reception
“Diminishes the significance of the issue”
Despite Painkiller making the number one spot on Netflix’s Top 10 New Series list, it received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it is “tonally confused” with “stale satirical flourishes”, with an average score of 6.1/10. Likewise, MetaCritic user reviews have given a 5/10 score. One user goes as far as to say the show “diminishes the significance of the issue”.
However, in my opinion, the show was a great insight into Purdue Pharma, with realistic depictions of addiction. The only point of criticism from me would be that I felt they stretched some of the story a little thin. For example, we don’t get much of an ending for some characters. Some scenes show us specific things but then we don’t see any resolution/consequence from these. They feel a little forced in for me.
I wish we got to see more of the reality of families affected by Oxycontin. Even though the show’s focus is on the Sackler family and the case against them. It would have been interesting to see some more scenes showing the widespread effects of the crisis. For example, they could have included something about people who beat the addiction. Alternatively, the fact that Oxycontin addiction is, unfortunately, still very present in American society today.
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Featured image courtesy of freestocks on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
Soph Johnson
Soph is a 20-year-old student at Sheffield Hallam University, a self-proclaimed musicophile, and a sort-of polyglot. She is also an avid lover of film photography, movies, and books.