Drug addiction is a brutal reality that cannot be denied. Either most of the movies you come across try to tone down the impact of drugs to make it more palatable for the audience, or they end up glorifying drug addiction. From seeing a successful businessperson taking cocaine for the kick to seeing the main character win the best gig in the music industry enjoying recreational marijuana, we have seen the entertainment industry normalizing the use of drugs.
Amidst this entire glorification of the drug fiasco, some movies have handled this subject tastefully without taking a dig at anyone offering a very raw and authentic story. Most of these movies are available on online content streaming sites but you cannot find all these movies on a single platform. To enjoy all these movies in one go, we recommend using a good Cable TV service like Optimum Cable. With over 220 channels, multiple in-built content streaming sites, and unlimited on-demand title streaming options, you can enjoy a huge collection of content, uninterrupted.
5 Brutally Honest Films about Addiction
Since drugs are a very sensitive topic, most movies do not handle it well. Eventually, this leads to ambiguous massage and glorification. However, some movies have handled this topic very well.
Here are some of our top picks to watch for an honest depiction of drug addiction and drug dealing on screen:
1- 
Beautiful Boy
Release: 2018
Available: Amazon Prime
Genre: Biopic, Drama
Runtime: 2 hours
Synopsis: When a son, once ideal, falls into bad company leading to drugs, the father embarks upon an enlightening journey of love and self-discovery to lead his child to recovery.
A movie based on a true story and a famous book. A very raw, real, and exceptional picture painted for the sake of awareness, there is no drop of glorification in this movie. The story is gloomy and offers an unedited story of the days before drugs, the process of drug addiction, and finally the road to recovery. Where most movies try to make the extreme scenes more palatable, this movie does not hesitate from giving the real image.
Since this story is inspired by real events, you will get to witness the importance of family bonding and how it can speed up the recovery process. Starring the biggest names in the industry, like Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell, it truly highlights how important it is to talk about the dangers of drug addiction in real life.
2- 
Basketball Diaries
Release: 1995
Available: Amazon Prime Video
Genre: Drama, Indie film
Runtime: 1hr 42min
Synopsis: A high school basketball player finds himself indulging in drugs, in an attempt to quit; he gets engulfed in the crime scene, homelessness, addiction, and prostitution.
If you think the happy endings in drug stories are too overrated, this is a brutally honest movie. The movie was released in 1995 and it is based on a biography that was published back in 1987 until this day no other movie has come even close to the realism of this story.
Thanks to the powerful acting of the legendary Leonardo DiCaprio and the powerful story of Jim Carroll, it has all the real aspects of drug addiction. Moreover, the story hits home for most either people who have been through drug addiction or they have a family member struggling with drug addiction.
3- 
Scarface
Release: 1983
Available: Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, and Netflix
Genre: Drama, Crime
Runtime: 2hr 50min
Synopsis: Two friends start their drug empire, filled with bloodbaths, enemies’ and a lot of cocaine but their empires get plagued as their friendship is destroyed by greed, power, ego, and hunger for love
Not all drug stories are about drug abuse, some are also about the real world of the drug. One of the most iconic movies that have ever been released, the story of Tony Montana lives to this day even after half a century has passed.
The story is too unconventional and way ahead of its time. Scarface is based on the life of a Cuban refugee that eventually builds a drug empire with his friend. However, as the drug empire expands his ego grows with it. A twisted, abusive, and true depiction of vengeance, this movie gets into graphic details of what can go wrong in the drug business filled with enemies, drugs, and violence.
4- 
Wolf of Wall Street
Release: 2013
Available: Netflix
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Biopic
Runtime: 3 hours
Synopsis: A bright young man discards his life of living paycheck to paycheck and finds a way to swindle billions by selling imaginary shares, in his journey drugs become his only constant partner, and soon his empire crashes
Most people are blinded by the world of business investment, suited attires, and expensive cars but what lies behind is a world filled with drugs and countless unhealthy activities. This movie is based on a true story so you get to know what goes on behind closed doors. However, some people blame this movie for the glorification of drugs as well.
Most people claim, that drug addiction is for people who are emotionally weak, uneducated, and poor. Wolf of Wall Street helps in fighting all these stereotypes. It also highlights that addiction does not affect just the vulnerable, instead, it can impact anyone regardless of their background.
5- 
Blow
Release: 2001
Available: Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV
Genre: Drama, Crime, History
Runtime: 2hr 4min
Synopsis: A boy from humble background finds a way to break the shackles of poverty with the help of drug smuggling which soon leads to bigger problems leading him to do questionable things
The movie might not offer you a direct depiction of the addicted but it will surely offer you a view of the user and dealer. Staring some of the biggest names in the industry, one thing is for sure, you will get to learn about the American perspective of the drug epidemic during the Pablo time.
From the money to abuse of drugs and then to addiction, you will get the not-so-glorified version of drug addiction and drug dealing.
Wrap Up
The topic of the drug has been covered from multiple aspects by multiple filmmakers. With such a wider audience and a sensitive topic, most filmmakers try to play it safely. However, these movies will help you get a real and raw picture of the nuisance that addiction is.
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