Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Language, drugs, sex in uneven opioid crisis drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Pain Hustlers
What's the Story?
Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a down-on-her-luck single mom to Phoebe (Chloe Coleman) at the start of PAIN HUSTLERS. She's living with her mom (Catherine O'Hara) in her sister's garage, and Phoebe is starting to cause trouble at school. Liza is also working at a strip club by day, which is where she meets salesman Pete Brenner (Chris Evans). They make a connection, and he invites her to apply for a job with him in pharma sales. After some resume fudging and convincing, she gets the job and quickly rises to the top in a business run by billionaire Jack Neel (Andy García). The shadiness of what they're doing -- getting doctors to prescribe their drug in bigger and bigger numbers, ultimately offering them kickbacks and bribes -- starts to gnaw at her, but her daughter's health problems and her own desire to be rich and powerful keeps her working. She brings in her mom and a team of willing-to-do-anything saleswomen to sign on more and more doctors.
Is It Any Good?
This film's star-studded cast and storyline ripped from headlines will make it a draw for audiences, who will find a well-acted but uneven and flawed film. The morality tale that is Pain Hustlers shifts tones abruptly in its third act, where greedy and unethical characters get their comeuppance. We're supposed to feel bad for main character Liza, a loving single mom worn down by the indignities of poverty and seemingly the only fentanyl hustler with a conscience. And while we might empathize with the depiction of her personal circumstances, it's hard to extend that to her work, and this ultimately weakens the film's arc and intended pay-off.
The script and direction get so caught up in building their manic corporate success story that they all but ignore the human cost at first, as if there weren't a crisis beyond this particular drug. The actors are all doing good work, especially American-accented Blunt. Evans and García are appropriately sleazy, and the secondary cast is memorable (led by O'Hara, Jay Duplass as the jealous coworker, Coleman and Brian d'Arcy James as a corrupt doctor). But ultimately, the tragic reality undermines the entertainment value of this movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the process of drug companies convincing medical professionals to prescribe certain drugs, despite potential negative effects on their patients, as seen in Pain Hustlers. Did any part of this surprise you?
What is the "opioid crisis" in the US? Where could you go for more information and statistics about this?
Why do people take drugs? Are all drugs dangerous? What resources are available for people looking to overcome an addiction?
Did you empathize with Liza's actions? What did you think of her statement in court at the end of the movie?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 27, 2023
- Cast : Emily Blunt , Chris Evans , Andy Garcia
- Director : David Yates
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , History
- Run time : 122 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language throughout, some sexual content, nudity and drug use
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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