Let’s flashback to what recovery looked like in films pre-2009. Here are a few notable movies filmed before that time that feature addiction as a central theme:
- “Requiem for a Dream” (2000) directed by Darren Aronofsky, is a powerful portrayal of four characters struggling with addiction to drugs and television.
- “Trainspotting” (1996) directed by Danny Boyle, is a black comedy that follows a group of heroin addicts in Scotland.
- “The Lost Weekend” (1945) directed by Billy Wilder, is a classic film about a writer struggling with alcoholism.
- “Leaving Las Vegas” (1995) directed by Mike Figgis, is a drama about a suicidal alcoholic who falls in love with a prostitute.
- “The Basketball Diaries” (1995) directed by Scott Kalvert, is a biographical drama about a teenage Jim Carrol and his descent into drug addiction.
- “Clean” (2004) directed by Olivier Assayas, is about a musician trying to get clean from heroin addiction but faces many challenges.
- “Crazy Heart” (2009) directed by Scott Cooper, is a drama film about a struggling country singer trying to turn his life around, but also struggles with alcohol addiction.
- “Clean and Sober” (1988) directed by Glenn Gordon Caron, is about a hustling drug addict checks himself into rehabilitation to escape trouble with the law and realizes that it’s exactly what he needs.
All these movies are unique in their way of depicting addiction and the toll it can take on an individual while giving insight and awareness of the subject matter.
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MOVIE NIGHT WITH THE SOBER CURATOR: The Best TV Shows, Movies, and Documentaries About Addiction & Recovery
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Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
