Movies about drug addiction can often be hard to watch, but the best examples of these types of stories can shed understanding and empathy on a serious issue. There was a time that drug use in movies was completely prohibited in Hollywood, despite the fact that it was certainly a well-known issue in society. Now, drug use is depicted quite regularly in cinema, sometimes as a passing moment, sometimes highlighting the criminal aspect, and sometimes even for comedic effect. However, there are movies that also deal with the darker realities of drug use and addiction.
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Certain films have dealt with drug addiction head on, detailing the harrowing experiences of main characters in the throes of the disease and their attempts to get sober. In other instances, it is not a main aspect of the story, but is dealt with in such a memorable and effective way that it can have a profound effect on the audience. These movies about drug addiction pull away the glamorization seen in other films and leave the audience with a look at the realities of the battle against a powerful, unrelenting force.
You are watching: 22 Most Harrowing & Accurate Movies About Drug Addiction You Need To Watch Right Now
22
Cherry (2021)
Directed By Joe & Anthony Russo
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Cherry
R
Drama
Crime
Biography
6/10
Release Date
February 26, 2021
Runtime
142 Minutes
Director
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writers
Angela Russo-Otstot, Jessica Goldberg, Nico Walker
Cast
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-
Tom Holland
-
Jamie Brewer
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Tom Holland gives an intense performance in this true story of a young soldier who returns from the war with PTSD, which leads to drug addiction and crime. Cherry is an important reminder of how trauma can be a key contributor to drug abuse and how there are many soldiers who are not given the help they need to deal with such things.
21
Scarface (1983)
Directed By Brian De Palma
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Scarface
R
Crime
Drama
7/10
9.2/10
Release Date
December 9, 1983
Runtime
170 minutes
Director
Brian De Palma
Writers
Oliver Stone, Howard Hawks, Ben Hecht
Cast
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-
Al Pacino
-
Michelle Pfeiffer
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While most people remember the violence and mayhem of Scarface in its story of Tony Montana becoming Miami’s biggest drug kingpin, it is easy to forget that it was drug addiction that ultimately brought him down. Fueled by cocaine, Tony begins to fall apart, seeing enemies all around him until he has no one left when the actual enemies come to find him.
20
The Wolf Of Wall Street (2012)
Directed By Martin Scorsese
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The Wolf of Wall Street
R
Comedy
Crime
Biography
10/10
12
8/10
Release Date
December 25, 2013
Runtime
180 Minutes
Director
Martin Scorsese
Writers
Terence Winter
Cast
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-
Leonardo DiCaprio
-
Jonah Hill
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Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street tells the true story of Jordan Belfort, whose corrupt business dealings funded his life of complete excess and debauchery. Some have accused the movie of glamorizing Belfort’s drug use and party lifestyle, but it is quite clear this is a tale of an immoral man who loses all control, with his drug use as a main contributor to his downfall.
19
Rocketman (2019)
Directed By Dexter Fletcher
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Rocketman
R
Biography
Drama
Fantasy
Music
8/10
8.5/10
Release Date
May 31, 2019
Runtime
121 Minutes
Director
Dexter Fletcher
Writers
Lee Hall
Cast
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-
Bryce Dallas Howard
-
Tate Donovan
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Rocketman is the musical biopic detailing the rise to fame, iconic career, and many struggles of Elton John. There are countless movies that explore the connection between fame and drug addiction, but Rocketman is one of the most authentic, partially because Elton John himself insisted the movie pull no punches in showing these dark moments in his life.
18
Goodfellas (1990)
Directed By Martin Scorsese
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Goodfellas
R
Drama
Crime
10/10
26
8.9/10
Release Date
September 19, 1990
Runtime
145 minutes
Director
Martin Scorsese
Writers
Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Pileggi
Producers
Barbara De Fina
Cast
See All
-
Ray Liotta
Henry Hill
-
Robert De Niro
James Conway
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Goodfellas is based on the true story of Henry Hill, a member of the mob who was at the center of the lavish and exciting world until it all came crashing down. The final act of the movie finds Hill addicted to cocaine and filled with paranoia, with Martin Scorsese doing a brilliant job of putting the audience in Hill’s anxiety-driven mindset.
17
The Fighter (2010)
Directed By David O. Russell
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The Fighter
R
Biography
Drama
Sport
10/10
9/10
Release Date
December 17, 2010
Runtime
116 minutes
Director
David O. Russell
Writers
Paul Tamasy, Scott Silver, Eric Johnson
Cast
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-
Melissa Leo
-
Christian Bale
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The Fighter is the true sports story of Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a Boston fighter who became a champ while being coached by his half-brother and former fighter Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Bale won an Oscar for his performance as this man who was once a contender, only to lose it all to drug addiction without ever admitting it to himself.
16
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
Directed By Terry Gilliam
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
R
Comedy
Drama
Adventure
9/10
Release Date
May 22, 1998
Runtime
118 minutes
Director
Terry Gilliam
Writers
Tony Grisoni, Alex Cox, Terry Gilliam, Tod Davies
Cast
See All
-
Tobey Maguire
-
Gary Busey
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Terry Gilliam adapts Hunter S. Thompson’s surreal satire novel starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro as two friends on a drug-binging journey to Las Vegas. The movie is not as serious as other movies about drug addiction, but the way in which these men live their lives in a constant stupor, detached from reality, makes it a grotesque thing to witness.
15
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Directed By John Schlesinger
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Midnight Cowboy
R
Drama
Release Date
May 25, 1969
Runtime
113 Minutes
Director
John Schlesinger
Writers
Waldo Salt, James Leo Herlihy
Cast
See All
-
Dustin Hoffman
-
Jon Voight
-
Sylvia Miles
-
John McGiver
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Midnight Cowboy stars Jon Voight as a young man who moves to NYC with dreams of making it in the big city, which he pursues alongside his new streetwise, outcast friend (Dustin Hoffman). The movie is a heartbreaking look at how these two friends with big plans for themselves find those dreams replaced with drugs when they find there is seemingly no place for them in the city.
14
Less Than Zero (1987)
Directed By Marek Kanievska
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Less Than Zero
R
Crime
Documentary
Drama
Romance
Release Date
November 6, 1987
Runtime
98 minutes
Director
Marek Kanievska
Writers
Bret Easton Ellis, Harley Peyton
Cast
-
Andrew McCarthy
-
Jami Gertz
-
Robert Downey Jr.
-
James Spader
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Less Than Zero came out of the era of Brat Pack movies, but offered a much darker look at the struggles of young people in the story of a young man who returns to his Los Angeles affluent community to find that his close friends have become consumed with their drug lifestyles. Many drug addiction movies look at the lives of impoverished addicts, but Less Than Zero is a reminder that the privileged can succumb to it just as easily.
13
Boogie Nights (1997)
Directed By Paul Thomas Anderson
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Boogie Nights
R
Drama
Documentary
10/10
6/10
Release Date
October 7, 1997
Runtime
155 minutes
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Writers
Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast
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-
John C. Reilly
-
Don Cheadle
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Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece is an epic journey through the height of the pornography industry and the beginning of its downfall in the 1970s and 1980s as seen through the eyes of various actors and filmmakers in the business. While the movie is fun and wild in the first laugh, it becomes a brutal look at addiction destroying the lives of this pseudo-family of outcasts with the drug den scene a particularly memorable look at drug-fuelled mayhem.
12
Flight (2012)
Directed By Robert Zemeckis
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Flight
R
Thriller
Drama
Release Date
November 2, 2012
Runtime
138 minutes
Director
Robert Zemeckis
Writers
John Gatins
Cast
See All
-
Don Cheadle
-
Kelly Reilly
-
Melissa Leo
-
John Goodman
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In one of Denzel Washington’s best performances, he plays a pilot who miraculously saves a plane filled with passengers from certain disaster only for the secrets of his alcoholism and drug addiction to be investigated. The movie shows the inescapable pull of addiction and how someone can claim to have it under control only to have it control their entire life.
11
Ben Is Back (2018)
Directed By Peter Hedges
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Ben Is Back
R
Drama
6/10
Release Date
December 5, 2018
Runtime
103 minutes
Director
Peter Hedges
Writers
Peter Hedges
Cast
See All
-
Courtney B. Vance
-
Rachel Bay Jones
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Julia Roberts stars in this drama as a mother of a drug addict who returns home from a rehab center during the holidays, filling her with anxiety about maintaining his sobriety. It is an effective look at addiction from a loved one’s perspective, showing the broken trust and fear in a mother who has seen her child slip back into these destructive ways too often.
10
Clean And Sober (1988)
Directed By Glenn Gordon Caron
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Clean and Sober
R
Drama
Release Date
August 10, 1988
Runtime
124 Minutes
Director
Glenn Gordon Caron
Writers
Tod Carroll
Cast
See All
-
Michael Keaton
-
Kathy Baker
-
Morgan Freeman
-
Tate Donovan
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When he was still best known for comedies, Michael Keaton delivered this stunning performance as a salesman addicted to drugs and alcohol who attempts to hide out in a drug rehab center. The movie examines how difficult it can be for addicts to admit they have a problem and shows the brutal reality check that comes when that realization finally hits.
9
The Panic In Needle Park (1971)
Directed By Jerry Schatzberg
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The Panic in Needle Park
PG
Drama
Release Date
June 1, 1971
Runtime
110 Minutes
Director
Jerry Schatzberg
Writers
James Mills, Joan Didion, John Gregory Dunne
Cast
See All
-
Al Pacino
-
Kitty Winn
-
Alan Vint
-
Richard Bright
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Before being cast in The Godfather, Al Pacino found his breakout role in The Panic in Needle Park, alongside Kitty Winn, the story of two heroin addicts in New York City who lean on each other for support and codependency as they constantly are in search of their next high. The small movie is a riveting look at how drugs can take over a relationship, with each party fueling each other’s addiction until the drugs ultimately tear them apart.
8
Gia (1998)
Directed By Michael Cristofer
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Gia
R
Romance
Drama
Release Date
January 31, 1998
Runtime
120 minutes
Director
Michael Cristofer
Writers
Jay McInerney
Producers
David R. Ginsburg, Ilene Kahn Power, James D. Brubaker
Cast
See All
-
Angelina Jolie
Gia
-
Elizabeth Mitchell
Linda
-
Eric Michael Cole
T.J.
-
Kylie Travis
Stephanie
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Gia was one of Angelina Jolie’s career-defining roles, playing real-life supermodel Gia Carangi, who became an iconic covergirl who was at the top of the industry only for her career to be cut short from her drug addiction. While biopics like Rocketman tell the stories of those who were able to overcome their addictions and cement their legacy, Gia is a reminder that not everyone has escaped their addictions in time.
7
Oslo, August 31st
Directed By Joachim Trier
From acclaimed Danish director Joachim Trier, Oslo, August 31st is a devastating look at a young man who has been recovering from his drug addiction in a rehab center only for it all to be put at risk when he is given the opportunity to spend a weekend away. The movie deals with the long and difficult journey of recovery and how returning to your life can be all it takes to start those bad habits again.
6
Half Nelson (2006)
Directed By Ryan Fleck
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Half Nelson
R
Drama
Release Date
August 11, 2006
Runtime
107 minutes
Director
Ryan Fleck
Producers
Alex Orlovsky, Paul S. Mezey, Rosanne Korenberg, Scott London, Anna Boden, Charlie Corwin, Clara Markowicz, Doug Dey, Jamie Patricof
Cast
See All
-
Ryan Gosling
Dan Dunne
-
Shareeka Epps
Drey
-
Anthony Mackie
Frank
-
Jeff Lima
Roodly
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Ryan Gosling earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance in this indie as a dedicated teacher who is also battling addiction. The movie is a heartbreaking look at a man who truly cares about teaching and his students, wanting to help them succeed outside of the classroom, but sees his own life falling apart in the meantime.
5
Beautiful Boy (2018)
Directed By Felix van Groeningen
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Beautiful Boy
R
Biography
Drama
6/10
Release Date
October 12, 2018
Runtime
120 minutes
Director
Felix Van Groeningen
Writers
Felix Van Groeningen, Luke Davies
Cast
See All
-
Timothée Chalamet
-
Kaitlyn Dever
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Based on the real experiences of Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy features an outstanding performance by Timothée Chalamet as Nic, a young man struggling with his meth addiction as his loving father (Steve Carrell) tries everything in his power to help him. The movie is a heartbreaking look at how addiction can impact a whole family and the feeling of hopelessness shared by everyone.
4
Basketball Diaries (1995)
Directed By Scott Kalvert
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The Basketball Diaries
R
Drama
Crime
Release Date
April 21, 1995
Runtime
102 minutes
Director
Scott Kalvert
Writers
Bryan Goluboff, Jim Carroll
Producers
Chris Blackwell, Dan Genetti, John Bard Manulis
Cast
See All
-
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jim Carroll
-
Mark Wahlberg
Mickey
-
Lorraine Bracco
Jim’s Mother
-
Michael Imperioli
Bobby
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One of the best of Leonardo DiCaprio’s early roles, he plays Jim Carroll, a talented student and basketball player whose bright future is destroyed as he and his friends are sucked into the world of addiction. Based on Carroll’s own autobiography, the movie is an unflinching look at how easily drugs can destroy so much promise as all of the positive qualities of Jim’s life gradually fade away.
3
Traffic (2000)
Directed By Steven Soderbergh
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Traffic
R
Crime
Drama
Thriller
Release Date
December 27, 2000
Runtime
147 Minutes
Director
Steven Soderbergh
Writers
Simon Moore, Stephen Gaghan
Cast
See All
-
Don Cheadle
-
Benicio Del Toro
-
Michael Douglas
-
Luis Guzman
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Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic is a movie that tells a variety of different stories surrounding the war on drugs, but one of the most impactful focuses on Caroline, the teen daughter of an anti-drug politician who gradually falls into addiction. Watching Caroline go from a bright student who uses recreational drugs with her friends to a young girl living on the streets and constantly in a state of numbness is a grim look at how such an issue can touch any family.
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Category: Entertainment