Pain Hustlers (2023) is a Netflix original crime drama film directed by David Yates, primarily known for his work on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series. The movie stars Emily Blunt and Chris Evans, two A-list actors who bring considerable gravitas to their roles. Based on Evan Hughes’ 2022 book, Pain Hustlers: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup, the film dives into the dark, murky waters of the opioid crisis in America, a subject that has already seen ample attention in both documentary and fictional forms. While the movie boasts a promising premise and a talented cast, it falls short in several key areas, making for an uneven viewing experience.
At its core, Pain Hustlers is about the seductive pull of easy money and the moral compromises people make along the way. The story revolves around Liza Drake (Emily Blunt), a down-on-her-luck single mother struggling to make ends meet. Through a chance encounter, she lands a job at a pharmaceutical startup pushing a dubious pain medication. Under the guidance of Pete Brenner (Chris Evans), a slick and amoral sales rep, Liza climbs the corporate ladder and finds herself entangled in a world of manipulation, deception, and outright corruption. The company’s mission is to sell as much of the drug as possible, regardless of the devastating consequences for patients.
The film attempts to be a character study of Liza, portraying her as someone initially driven by necessity but gradually corrupted by the allure of wealth and success. However, it struggles to flesh out her character in a meaningful way. Blunt is as charismatic and compelling as ever, but the script doesn’t give her enough depth to work with. Liza’s transformation from desperate single mom to morally ambiguous power player happens too quickly and without enough internal conflict to make it believable. We’re told, rather than shown, that Liza is in over her head, and as a result, her moral downfall feels more like a plot point than a deeply personal journey.
Chris Evans, meanwhile, plays the role of Pete Brenner with a mix of charm and menace. His character is the embodiment of corporate greed, manipulating everyone around him to serve his own interests. Evans does a commendable job portraying Brenner’s slimy charisma, but like Liza, his character lacks sufficient depth. We never get a true sense of what drives Pete beyond a desire for money and power, which makes him feel more like a stock villain than a fully realized human being. His interactions with Liza are supposed to serve as the emotional and moral core of the film, but their relationship is never explored in enough detail to make it truly compelling.
One of the film’s most significant weaknesses is its pacing. At just under two hours, Pain Hustlers feels both rushed and meandering. The first act sets up Liza’s financial desperation and her initial foray into the pharmaceutical world, but it moves so quickly that we don’t get a chance to fully understand her motivations. Once she starts succeeding at the company, the film jumps from one event to the next without much room for reflection or character development. As a result, Liza’s rise to power—and eventual realization of the harm she’s causing—feels abrupt and unearned.
In terms of tone, Pain Hustlers struggles to find a consistent voice. The movie oscillates between darkly comedic moments and more serious, dramatic beats, but it doesn’t handle either particularly well. The comedic elements, meant to highlight the absurdity of the pharmaceutical industry’s greed, often feel out of place or undercut the severity of the subject matter. On the other hand, the film’s attempts at drama are too shallow to leave a lasting impact. For a movie about such a serious issue, it never fully commits to exploring the emotional or ethical implications of its story in a meaningful way.
Visually, the film has a glossy, almost slick aesthetic that reflects the superficial world its characters inhabit. Yates directs with a confident hand, and there are moments where the film’s style effectively complements its themes of deception and manipulation. However, the cinematography and production design often feel too polished, which makes it harder to buy into the grim realities of the opioid crisis. There’s a disconnect between the film’s visual presentation and the dark, morally complex story it’s trying to tell. A grittier, more grounded approach might have better served the material.
One of the most glaring issues with Pain Hustlers is its reluctance to fully engage with the real-world consequences of the opioid crisis. The film is loosely based on true events, but it feels more interested in the personal drama of its main characters than in the broader societal implications of the pharmaceutical industry’s malfeasance. There are brief moments where the film touches on the devastating effects of opioid addiction, but these scenes are few and far between, and they feel more like obligatory nods to the seriousness of the issue rather than genuine attempts to explore it. This lack of focus weakens the film’s impact and makes it feel disconnected from the real-life suffering that inspired its story.
In comparison to other films and documentaries that tackle similar subject matter—such as The Pharmacist or Dopesick—Pain Hustlers feels lightweight and unfocused. Those works were able to delve into the emotional and social toll of the opioid crisis in a way that this film never quite manages. By centering its story on corporate climbers like Liza and Pete, Pain Hustlers misses an opportunity to truly reckon with the human cost of the pharmaceutical industry’s greed. While it acknowledges the crisis, it doesn’t offer any fresh insights or compelling commentary on it.
That being said, the film isn’t without its merits. Emily Blunt delivers a solid performance, even if the material doesn’t do her justice. She manages to bring some emotional nuance to Liza, particularly in the scenes where she’s grappling with her growing moral unease. There’s a quiet desperation in Blunt’s performance that makes Liza somewhat sympathetic, even as her actions become more and more questionable. Chris Evans, too, does a commendable job with what he’s given, bringing an oily charm to Pete that makes him a fitting foil for Liza. The supporting cast, including Andy García as the company’s corrupt CEO, delivers decent performances, though they’re mostly sidelined in favor of the main characters.
Another positive aspect of Pain Hustlers is its brisk pace. While the film’s rapid-fire progression undermines its character development and emotional depth, it does make for a fast-paced, easily digestible narrative. There’s a certain entertainment value in watching Liza’s rise through the ranks, even if the film never fully capitalizes on the potential for tension or moral complexity. For viewers looking for a slick, surface-level exploration of corporate greed and corruption, Pain Hustlers offers a relatively engaging, if shallow, experience.
One can’t help but feel that the film’s focus on Liza’s personal story comes at the expense of a deeper examination of the opioid crisis itself. While it’s clear that the filmmakers wanted to tell a story about how regular people can get caught up in larger systems of exploitation, they miss the mark by not dedicating enough time to the victims of the crisis. The film hints at the devastating impact of the drug Liza is selling, but it never fully explores the lives of the people affected. As a result, the stakes feel lower than they should, given the real-world consequences of the opioid epidemic.
Overall, Pain Hustlers is a film with a lot of potential but not enough follow-through. Its talented cast and timely subject matter make it an intriguing watch, but it falls short of being the hard-hitting, emotionally resonant drama it could have been. The film’s glossy aesthetic, uneven tone, and underdeveloped characters prevent it from fully engaging with the gravity of its subject. For viewers familiar with the real-life opioid crisis or with more nuanced depictions of corporate corruption, Pain Hustlers may feel like a missed opportunity. However, for those looking for a fast-paced, somewhat entertaining drama with strong performances, it might still be worth a watch.
