I started watching Painkiller on Netflix Friday night and wrapped it up early Saturday. I couldn’t turn it off.\u00a0 The six-episode series is based on an article from the New Yorker “The Family That Built An Empire of Pain” and Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic by Barry Meier.<\/p>\n
The series highlights families and victims of the opioid crisis.\u00a0 Fictionalized for television.\u00a0 But the story is based on truth.\u00a0\u00a0I am embarrassed to admit how much I didn’t realize was happening in the world of pharmaceuticals.\u00a0 How much is fueled on money and greed.\u00a0 \u00a0The addiction.\u00a0 The pain.\u00a0 The problems created.\u00a0 Lives lost.<\/p>\n
Painkiller looks at how the opioid crisis was created and what drove it.\u00a0 The Purdue Pharma, a company owned by Richard Sackler and his family, was the manufacturer of OxyContin.\u00a0 The Sackler family have been described as the “most evil family in America” and the “worst drug dealers in history”<\/p>\n
Matthew Broderick plays Richard Sackler.\u00a0\u00a0Uzo Aduba plays Edie Flowers.\u00a0 A strong character.\u00a0 Taylor Kitsch plays the role of Glen Kryger incredibly well.\u00a0 We see him portray the story of a man who becomes addicted to the painkiller after a work injury and the destruction on his life and family that ensues.<\/p>\n
This series will make you angry and break your heart.\u00a0\u00a0Have you watched?\u00a0 What did you think?<\/p>\n