Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster
Netflix
IN DECEMBER 1995, the pharmaceuticals firm Purdue Pharma reached an important milestone: its new opioid, OxyContin, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate pain. One key aspect of the decision was a single sentence on the drug鈥檚 label claiming that its 12-hour delayed absorption was 鈥渂elieved鈥� to reduce the likelihood of users becoming addicted to it.
This semantic sidestep is one of many stories told in Painkiller, a six-part Netflix drama about how people across the US were encouraged to take OxyContin by ruthless marketing from Purdue, a strategy spearheaded by the firm鈥檚 president, Richard Sackler. The highly addictive drug has played a leading role in the opioid epidemic that has claimed more than 450,000 lives in the US.
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In Painkiller, we see how people like Glen Kryger (Taylor Kitsch), a mechanic who began taking OxyContin after an accident at work, had their lives torn apart, while Richard Sackler (Matthew Broderick) and his family were enriched. Glen is fictional, but his story is grounded in the real experiences of those struggling with opioid misuse. Likewise, lawyer Edie Flowers (Uzo Aduba in fine form) is a composite of several litigators who took on the Sacklers.
If you are feeling d茅j脿 vu, that may be because of Dopesick, a grim, finely drawn drama that covers similar ground (see my recommendations, left). It, too, features small-town doctors and patients who are unprepared for OxyContin鈥檚 lethally addictive effects, as well as an investigation into Purdue and explanations of why Richard Sackler (played here by Michael Stuhlbarg) needed to boost drug sales to avoid his company going bankrupt.
So, why bother making Painkiller at all? Well, it offers an edgier tone and does more to explore the greed and hedonism at Purdue. We see the fast cars and spacious apartments that drug reps like the fictional Shannon Schaeffer (West Duchovny) buy to stomach the bitter pill of hawking OxyContin. We even hear a song about the drug, performed as cheerleaders dance and karaoke text appears on screen. If Dopesick is a depressant, Painkiller is a stimulant.
But the show鈥檚 biggest problem is its flashy, jarring tone. Each instalment starts with a message read by a real-life relative of someone who died after taking OxyContin. They say the events depicted have been fictionalised somewhat, but add that what isn鈥檛 fictional is that the person died 鈥� and they give a few details. The show then cuts back to the main action. In the first episode, we hear of Christopher Trejo. Prescribed the drug at 15 years old, he died aged 32, having lived with addiction for years. His mother鈥檚 message is a powerful moment, but undercut by our introduction to Richard, hurling fruit at a smoke alarm, set to The Sound of Silence. This heavy-handed juxtaposition sums up what a sorry mess the show is.
It goes on to paste over cracks with a dance scene here and a Beastie Boys riff there. Animated montages explain aspects of OxyContin鈥檚 development and approval, while Richard 鈥渢alks鈥� to the ghost of his dead uncle, Arthur Sackler (Clark Gregg).
All this schlock distracts from a story that desperately needs telling over and again, until real justice is achieved. Painkiller is a lesson in voyeurism that will make you angry, but mostly in ways it didn鈥檛 intend.
Bethan also recommends鈥�
Danny Strong
Disney+ (UK); Hulu (US)
Michael Keaton gives a stellar performance in this TV miniseries drama about the opioid crisis and those whose lives it has ruined.
Alice Birch
Amazon Prime Video
This dark medical drama stars Rachel Weisz as twin gynaecologists in a successful remake of the cult David Cronenberg film.
Bethan Ackerley is a subeditor at New Scientist. She loves sci-fi, sitcoms and anything spooky. She is still upset about the ending of Game of Thrones. Follow her on聽Twitter @鈥宨nkerley
