About Dopesick

Dopesick is a compelling television series that was released in 2021. It is a drama miniseries that explores the epicenter of America's struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Purdue Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA. It deeply investigates the insidious spread of addictive prescription drug Oxycontin by the pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, and the consequent, devastating repercussions on the public's health, the local economy, and social structures.

Making / Production

The series was created by Danny Strong and is based on the non-fiction book 'Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America' by Beth Macy. The series premiered on Hulu on October 13, 2021. The show was overseen by Strong, who also served as the showrunner and executive producer along with Warren Littlefield, John Goldwyn, Beth Macy, Karen Rosenfelt, and Bruce Richmond.

Actors

• Michael Keaton as Samuel Finnix - Keaton gives a stellar performance as a compassionate doctor who is unwittingly drawn into the opioid crisis when he starts prescribing OxyContin to his patients.
• Rosario Dawson as Bridget Meyer - Dawson embodies her role as a DEA investigator who fights to bring those responsible for the crisis to justice.
• Peter Sarsgaard as Rick Mountcastle - Sarsgaard excellently portrays an Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecuting the opioid case.
• Kaitlyn Dever as Betsy Mallum - Dever has been highly praised for her heartfelt performance as a mine worker battling addiction.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The series is based on a New York Times bestselling book "Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America."
• Over eight episodes, the series explores 15 years of the opioid crisis in America.
• Michael Keaton returned to television after a decade with this series.

Quotes

• "We’ve been selling the cure to addiction not the addiction." – Richard Sackler (actor John Hoogenakker)
• "These people, our people, they trust me." - Samuel Finnix (actor Michael Keaton)
• "I want to be the one to nail these...." – Bridget Meyer (actor Rosario Dawson)

Music, Soundtrack

• The original soundtrack for Dopesick was composed by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans.
• The soundtrack of Dopesick plays a crucial role in emphasizing the emotional depth of the series and enhances the narrative structure.