If you are a person in recovery and/or a recovery advocate, “Body Brokers” is the kind of movie that is going to make you angry. Like punch your fist into a wall angry. Directed and written by John Swab, “Body Brokers” is a film about the obstacles of recovery and a deep dive into the rehabilitation industry. It will depict how laws that were intended for good, surrounding healthcare and insurance, get twisted into something that I personally think is pure evil.
Want to know why it’s going to make you so angry? Because it’s based on true events. Yep, that’s right. This is currently happening in our country by money-hungry, self-centered maniacs who are cheating the system with little to no regard for the lives of the addicts they leave in their wake.
Trigger Warning: Don’t watch “Body Brokers” if you are easily triggered by drug use.
This film starts off with a (fake) commercial of a big-name rehabilitation center in Southern California. Through the narration in the film, we then learn numbers, revenue, and statistics that are made off of rehabilitation centers. These numbers may shock you. (Stats pulled directly from the opening of the film)
Stats from the opening scene of Body Brokers
- When the Affordable Care Act was signed in 2008, it required every healthcare provider to cover substance abuse treatment.
- Since the time that bill was passed, over 2,000 sober living, 100 inpatient treatment centers, and 200 detoxes have opened up shops in Southern California.
- This is nearly 35,000 beds that need to be filled each month and almost half a million that need to be filled a year.
- That totals somewhere around $12 billion annually of billable revenue. (and yes, we are still just talking about Southern California)
- This has inadvertently created a business scam for junkies and their caregivers.
Body Brokers storyline
As the story starts off, we get introduced to our main characters, Utah (Jack Kilmer) and his girlfriend Opal (Alice Englert). They are holding up a grocery store for money to buy drugs somewhere in Chicago. This troubled young couple, who appears to be homeless, is trying to find a way to make ends meet. Scraping just enough money together for drugs from robberies and prostitution. Their lives are pretty bleak.
While sitting in front of a diner, Wood (Michael Kenneth Williams) offers to buy them a meal. He casually mentions that he works in treatment. Wood goes on to explain he used to be in the same place they were, explaining that he can help. Opal is not at all interested in the offer, but wanting to change his life around, Utah eagerly takes Wood’s business card. In no time at all, Utah calls Wood to take him up on the offer of getting help. He jumps on a plane with Wood to the treatment center in sunny California, leaving Opal behind to self-destruct. Utah has never seen the ocean and is optimistic about turning his life around.
Body Brokers isn’t a “happy-ever-after” type of story.
It’s easy to cheer for Utah, who is trying for the first time to get clean. He dreams of a better life as he takes in his first view of the ocean. We see him work hard to get his first 30 days clean. But then things start to take a turn for Utah when he decides to leave treatment early and go into business with Wood. The business of brokering bodies to make fast cash.
You’re going to be upset.
This movie is a hell of an education about a topic I admittingly knew nothing about until a few weeks ago. I recently learned there are actually sober social media influencers that make money in similar ways depicted in this film. Not to mention, real-life people like the Wood character are making money off others’ misfortune and addiction. Statistically, only about 10% of people who seek treatment are able to achieve long-term sobriety. Taking advantage of the 90% who don’t hurt my heart, and it hurts my head. I vividly remember how vulnerable I felt, checking into treatment and being desperate for answers. While this isn’t the best film you will ever see, this movie is heartbreaking. My hope is that this film gets people talking about these issues and helps get more laws in place to protect the people who need protection.
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 4 out of 5
Additional Reviews of this film & articles about these scams:
- ‘Body Brokers’ Review: Drug Abuse Is Big Business for More Than Just the Dealers – Variety
- Health insurance scam preys on human suffering in fascinating, flawed ‘Body Brokers’ – LA Times
- “Mom, When They Look at Me, They See Dollar Signs” – Mother Jones
- The Florida Shuffle
- “Haven for Recovering Addicts Now Profits From Their Relapses” – The New York Times
- ‘Body Brokers’ Get Kickbacks To Lure People With Addictions To Bad Rehab – NPR
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