The Opioid Epidemic: A Riveting Battle of Painkiller vs Dopesick - Which TV Series Reveals the Harsh Reality?

Summary

Exploring the real-life opioid epidemic in America, both Hulu's Dopesick and Netflix's Painkiller delve into the issue effectively, although Painkiller has garnered more polarizing reviews in comparison to Dopesick.

Dopesick provides a factual perspective on the opioid crisis, while Painkiller focuses on dramatizing true stories and deliberately deviates from the facts.

Both shows highlight the necessity for improved medication regulations and the involvement of pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma in the opioid crisis. The Sackler family and OxyContin are subject to scrutiny in both series.

Delving into America's opioid epidemic, Hulu's Dopesick and Netflix's Painkiller have emerged as powerful explorations of the real-life medical tragedy. Dopesick received critical acclaim and multiple Emmy nominations in 2021, while Painkiller sought to portray the same story from different perspectives. Although Painkiller received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, both shows ultimately highlight the need for better regulation of medicines, rather than their exploitation for profit. The opioid OxyContin, once hailed as a miracle drug, and its disgraced manufacturer Purdue Pharma are central to both narratives.

In Dopesick, the focus is on the Sackler family, who ran Purdue Pharma, as well as the doctors and miners affected by the crisis. Lawyers play a significant role in the show's multi-timeline narrative. Similarly, Painkiller delves into the affairs of the Sacklers and the legal parties, while also highlighting the journalists who helped expose the opioid crisis. Given the importance of the contemporary history depicted in both Dopesick and Painkiller, it is natural for these drama miniseries to draw from various sources of research. They take inspiration from books, newspaper reports, and numerous testimonies from those directly affected by opioid addiction. Here's a breakdown of which series presents a more accurate portrayal.

Dopesick Is More Accurate & Factual To The Real Opioid Crisis Than Painkiller

Except for the Sacklers, the majority of the characters in Dopesick are fictional and represent a combination of real people affected by the opioid crisis. Painkiller adopts the same approach by using composite characters, but Dopesick has a more factual approach. Painkiller does give a voice to the victims through characters like Glen Kryger, played by Taylor Kitsch, a car mechanic who develops a fatal addiction to OxyContin. However, the focus in Painkiller mainly centers around Purdue Pharma, its patriarch Richard Sackler, and the pharmaceutical company's extensive marketing plan to popularize Oxy. The Netflix original takes the promotion methods to another level.

While Painkiller shows that Purdue did distribute OxyContin plushies as part of their marketing plan (as reported by Star News), there is no reported evidence of the company hiring cheerleaders for flashy galas and launch parties. Since Painkiller incorporates various genres, ranging from investigative thriller to anti-capitalist satire, it intentionally deviates from the facts. Matthew Broderick's portrayal of Richard Sackler in Painkiller is much more dramatic compared to Michael Stuhlbarg's relatively controlled portrayal in Dopesick. The series also includes surreal elements, such as Sackler hallucinating his deceased uncle/mentor, Dr. Arthur Sackler, and seeking business advice from him.

Dopesick, on the contrary, adopts a more serious tone and largely employs a nonfictional approach, despite featuring composite characters. Instead of focusing solely on an OxyContin addict such as Glen Kryger, Dopesick delves into the addiction stories of individuals across various age groups from the small mining town of Finch Creek, Virginia. Although the characters of Michael Keaton's Dr. Samuel Finnix and Kaitlyn Dever's Betsy Mallum are fictional, their narratives are inspired by real-life accounts. NPR's addiction correspondent, Brian Mann, drew connections between Dopesick and his personal experiences with communities in West Virginia and Ohio, which were deeply affected by the public health crisis.

Painkiller Focuses More On Dramatization Of True Stories

In comparison to the 2021 show, Painkiller takes a more melodramatic approach to portraying the crisis. The characters, including Uzo Aduba's investigative journalist Edie Flowers and real-life figures like the Sacklers, undergo deep reflection and express their emotions through monologues. Even when exploring the capitalistic aspects of OxyContin's production and promotion, the show relies on a flashy presentation to reveal the Sacklers' goals. Similarly, Glen Kryger's experiences with withdrawal symptoms are portrayed with a cinematic flair.

Dopesick, on the other hand, delves deeper into the medical aspects surrounding the destructive impact of OxyContin in the 1990s and 2000s. The main character Dr. Finnix, portrayed by Keaton, leads the cast and the Hulu original explores how even morally upright medical professionals like him were deceived into believing that OxyContin was a non-addictive substance. The show presents a darker and more subdued portrayal of the addictive nature of the legally prescribed drug, with Dr. Finnix himself eventually becoming addicted to OxyContin. The series handles even the process of crushing the tablets into powder and snorting them with a documentary-like sensitivity, maintaining control over the melodramatic elements.

While the ensemble of characters in Dopesick includes attorneys (played by Peter Sarsgaard and John Hoogenakker) and a DEA Agent (played by Rosario Dawson) who question Purdue Pharma, they are primarily depicted as legal officials carrying out their duties. The Sacklers, the family behind Purdue Pharma, are mostly shown in boardrooms or luxurious mansions. Dopesick does not delve as much into their personal lives as it does with Dr. Finnix and other addicts. In contrast, Painkiller heightens the drama by exploring Richard Sackler's inner demons and Edie Flowers' personal motivation to expose Purdue after witnessing a pharmacy robbery and meeting with the company's sales representative, Shannon.

Painkiller & Dopesick's Sources Explain Their True Story Accuracy Differences

Why Painkiller & Dopesick's Approaches Are Both Important To Depicting The Opioid Crisis

Painkiller surpasses Dopesick in its ability to portray the personal narratives associated with the powerful painkiller, OxyContin. This Netflix original places a strong emphasis on emotional storytelling, drawing inspiration from real-life accounts documented in articles such as The New Yorker's “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain,” as well as the influential 2003 non-fiction book, Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic, written by former journalist Barry Meier. Meanwhile, Dopesick takes a more factual approach, basing its research primarily on journalist Beth Macy’s 2018 non-fiction book, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.

The opioid crisis, following the crack cocaine epidemic, quickly engulfed middle America and beyond over a period of twenty years. OxyContin, being a legal drug, facilitated Purdue Pharma's broad distribution to an ever-expanding audience. Despite their differing approaches, both Dopesick and Painkiller share essential narratives that unravel the origins of this medical crisis. While Dopesick leans towards presenting factual information rather than sensationalism, Painkiller employs some cinematic liberties. Nevertheless, both series provide insightful reflections on the damaging consequences of modern pharmaceutical capitalism on society.