Dopesick is a mini-series about the scary opioid crisis in the USA. Inspired by real-life stories of pain and tragedies in America, it depicts the sad consequences of drug addiction.
This limited series is based on the nonfiction book titled ‘Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America’ written by Beth Macy. In her book, she has detailed, how the ongoing opioid crisis has wreaked havoc in the USA. As it is dictated by the unbridled greed of capitalism and the indifferent systems. No doubt, this opioid crisis has taken a horrid turn. Consequently, many American families have become unwilling victims of this kind of drug addiction in society.
Synopsis [official summary] of the Dopesick (2021) mini-series
Dopesick mini-series examines how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history.
The series takes viewers to the epicentre of America’s struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Big Pharma to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA. Defying all the odds, heroes will emerge in an intense and thrilling ride to take down the craven corporate forces behind this national crisis and their allies. The limited series is inspired by the New York Times bestselling book by Beth Macy.
Spoiler Free review of the Dopesick (2021) mini-series
More about the Beth Macy book
Watch Dopesick ( or you can read the said book by Beth Macy) to find out how one pharmaceutical company and its corporate greed can cause one of the worst opioid drug epidemics in the history of the USA. Dopesick is based on a non-fiction book, it’s a grim series with a complex and layered storyline about the ongoing opioid crisis in America.
Now, about the mini-series
In this mini-series, we get to watch the personal stories of different families adversely affected by the ongoing drug crisis. So, it is a heart-breaking contemporary tale about the people adversely affected by the man-made Opioid challenge. Their stories touch your hearts. It makes you feel their pain and suffering. The system to regulate and monitor corporate affairs seems to be broken in favour of the rich and powerful people. And this is so dope. It is a very bad situation. This discriminatory system (fueled by the theory of profit maximization) has ruined many people’s lives.
Illegal underworld drug kingpin versus Legal pharmaceutical company
On a lighter serious note, “Why become an illegal underworld drug kingpin, when you can sell opium tablets in a mass market as a legal pharmaceutical company and earn billions of dollars? One should think hard about smart career choices and the legal plunder. What was Pablo Escobar thinking? Seriously, no pun intended here too!”
It is a food for thought perhaps.
The conclusion
Led by actor Michael Keaton, the ensemble cast of this heartbreaking show consisting of other actors like Mare Winningham, Kaitlyn Dever, Will Poulter, Peter Sarsgaard, and Michael Stuhlbarg have given praiseworthy acting performances. Most of them have given an award-winning acting masterclass.
The series director and writers have kept us engaged with its unique stories and engaging telling. Their tragic tales touched our hearts and minds. Long after, the show had finished, their sad stories kept us awake and thinking about their lives. We believe it is a must-watch show because it tells an important contemporary tale to warn us about corporate greed as well as the opioid crisis. With only eight episodes, this show is a good choice for the watch on given weekends and/or holidays.
Ratings of the Dopesick (2021) mini-series
| FM’s rating | 4.35/5 |
| Rotten Tomatoes ratings as of the date | 89% Tomatometer & 93% Audience Score |
Critics Consensus: This show at times sinks under the weight of its subject matter, but strong performances from Michael Keaton and Kaitlyn Dever (her pic.) and an empathetic approach to the very real people impacted by the opioid crisis make for harrowing drama. (~Rotten Tomatoes)
Poster of the Dopesick (2021) mini-series
Key details about this 2021 mini-series about the Opioid crisis
| Genre | Drama |
| Creator | Danny Strong |
| Released | October 2021 |
| Episodes | Eight (8) |
| Age-restrictions | A (18+) |
| Cast | Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Mare Winningham, Will Poulter, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, etc. |
| Tagline | Inspired by the true story of how America got hooked on a lie. |
Trailer of this 2021 mini-series about the Opioid crisis
Awards won by this 2021 mini-series about the Opioid crisis
| Awards Names | Particulars of the Winners |
|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards 2022 | Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Michael Keaton – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series Danny Strong – Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series Mare Winningham – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series Kaitlyn Dever – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series Will Poulter – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series – |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards 2022 | Michael Keaton – Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series |
| Golden Globes, USA 2022 | Michael Keaton – Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television |
Focus on the actor Michael Keaton
Versatile actor Michael Keaton has been acting for more than four decades in movies as well as TV series. His body of works includes:
| Movies | Night Shift (1982), Mr Mom (1983), Johnny Dangerously (1984), Gung Ho (1986), Beetlejuice (1988), The Dream Team (1989), Batman (1989), Pacific Heights )1990), Batman Returns (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), My Life (1993), The Paper (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Live from Baghdad (2002), The Other Guys (2010), Birdman (2014), Spotlight (2015), The Founder (2016), etc. |
| Awards | Golden Globes, USA – 2015 Winner Golden Globe – Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) |
| TV – Series/Movies | All’s Fair (1977), Working Stiffs (1979), Report to Murphy (1982), The Company (2007), Dopesick (2021), etc. |
| Awards | Golden Globes, USA – 2022 Winner Golden Globe – Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television – Dopesick Primetime Emmy Awards – 2022 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie – Dopesick Screen Actors Guild Awards – 2022 Winner Actor – Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series – Dopesick |
| Recognition | Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Motion Picture) in 2016. |
When Michael Keaton won the SAG award, watch his award acceptance speech
Michael Keaton – the lead actor in this limited series won the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards in 2022. In his award acceptance speech, he dedicated this award to his Nephew who had died from drug addiction.
“Given the subject matter (in Dopesick), this (SAG best actor award) is for my nephew Michael and my sister Pam, I lost Michael, lost my nephew to drugs and it hurts.“
~ Michael Keaton
If you like to explore the business of Opium in the American continent, then go ahead and check out our FM articles about the Narcos series, too.
Featured & Other Images: Dopesick | Hulu.