Dopesick Review

If you haven’t paid attention to the ever-worsening opioid crisis in America, Dopesick will likely be an eye-opening miniseries for you. If you have, however, been aware of just what has gone on throughout the 25 or so years since Purdue Pharmaceuticals released OxyContin to the market, well, then you’ll likely find much of what Dopesick is presenting to be a retread of what you already know. While the series boasts a sensational cast, it often feels stilted, unfocused, and lacking on real emotional resonance – which is disappointing considering the important topic the series is discussing.

Let’s start at the beginning. Or the beginning of the Dopesick timeline in 1996 – as the series constantly jumps around from 1996 through 2003, making it increasingly hard to follow the storyline throughout the series. We’re presented with two tracking narrative arcs. In the first, Michael Keaton’s* Dr. Samuel Finnix is a widower, working in a Virginia mining town as their only GP. He’s treating the residents for a host of typical ailments, including injuries that come about from the mine. Among his patients is Kaitlyn Dever’s Betsy Mallum, who gets a nasty back injury. Finnix has just been provided a host of new literature on a new drug, OxyContin, by drug rep Billy (played by the excellent Will Poulter), which includes the FDA validated claim that the drug is less addictive than other narcotic pain meds. As we now know all too well, that’s absolutely not the case, and Betsy – along with other OxyContin users – quickly ends up addicted, and doctors like Finnix are left with the moral quandary of whether or not they did right by those they had sworn to treat.

*Keaton, along with Dever, Ray McKinnon, and others in the Virginia mining slice of the narrative are all turning in great work. In fact, they elevate what should be pretty cut and dry scenes into something better than the writing should allow for. It’s also worth noting that Keaton’s involvement in the series is deeply personal, as his nephew passed away as a result of opioid addiction.

On the other side of the narrative is the story of Richard Sackler (the usually reliable Michael Stuhlbarg, delivering a strangely uneven and unfocused performance that veers, along with his other Sackler relatives, into the realm of parody at times) and his need to make something of his role within his family and with Purdue Pharma. Richard is set-up as almost the black sheep of the family – looked down on by those within his orbit and desperate to bring in money and prove his worth. His cutthroat focus on rising above his status and doing whatever it takes to turn OxyContin into a drug that will be the saving grace for his family’s company is presented as the driving force behind the push to get the drug past regulators and into as many markets as possible. Unfortunately, this also turns him into a one-note villain without much nuance (at least in the episodes provided for review). Sure, we shouldn’t sympathize with someone like Sackler, but we need some reason to care about the scenes we get with him. Instead, he’s like a mustache twirling villain (as are the other Sackler family members), and there’s little to no depth to the character, making for a less than satisfying viewing experience.

Outside of these arcs, there’s a subplot in 2003 that sees the federal government (with Peter Sarsgaard as the lead Justice Department attorney and Rosario Dawson as a tough as nails DEA agent) opening up an investigation into OxyContin and getting into the weeds as to just how this opioid crisis reached its tipping point. Of course, it’s too little, too late, as thousands of individuals have already succumbed to addiction and overdose in the face of poor regulation and the heavy full court press from Purdue Pharmaceutical sales folks. It’s here where the lack of linear storytelling lets the series down the most. We see the investigation unspool alongside the introduction of OxyContin within the Virginia mining community. We know what’s coming – we know this will result in death and addiction of several of the characters we meet and that Finnix will be left bereft and feeling guilty for his hand in prescribing the drug – but we also see the end result of this situation in watching Finnix testify in court. Yes, specifics of the fates of the characters we’ve met in the past are kept hidden as their story continues to play out, but we can certainly guess what’s in store. And knowing what’s to come zaps this arc of some of its dramatic energy.

It’s a shame that a series this well-acted is such a narrative mess, as this is such an important topic. However, Danny Strong’s confused scripts, which are based on the non-fiction book “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America” by Beth Macy, lessen the impact of the show’s performances and create a messy narrative that doesn’t serve to educate or entertain. It’s clear that all those involved had high hopes for what this series could do, but it isn’t able to reach those heights. Rather than spend the time watching the show, perhaps pick up a copy of its source material and take the time to do your own deep dive into this shameful piece of America’s recent history. It would be time much better spent.

Dopesick premieres on October 13 on Hulu with three episodes. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly. Five episodes were provided for review.