Review by RCR Entertainment Reporter, Eddie Villanueva follow him on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram @anticfire
Controversy surrounds so many things today. From politics to Miss Universe pageants, it seems that you can’t go through your day without hearing about some form of dissension. Most of it is superfluous, not really pertaining to our day-to-day lives, but sometimes you get wind of that one piece of controversy that tends to not only change your views on things, but change your entire way of life. Prescription Thugs is one of those pieces.
Director Chris Bell’s Prescription Thugs, an eye-opening follow-up documentary to 2008’s Bigger, Stronger, Faster*, takes his story to the next level as now he sets his sights on revealing to the world how over-medication and addiction has become one of the most ever-growing epidemics in America today. In a world where pharmaceutical companies and doctors have more in common to back-alley drug dealers than concerned educated physicians, Bell seeks to unveil the truth that not every pill given by the doctor is meant to heal you.
As Bell heads down the rabbit hole of a tale that is his personal life’s struggle with being addicted to prescription drugs, he pulls no punches in investigating the facts that are more serious than he first realizes. After losing his own brother to the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse, Bell sets out to demystify this insidious addiction. While the war has raged against illegal drugs, Bell attempts to break the hardened correlation that legal means safe.
The film lays out the gritty facts as he and several other athletes such as Ryan Sakoda, Matthew “Horshu” Wiese and Chris Leben unravel the lies that many pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars for us to believe: that they have your best interest in mind. The journey that Bell sets out on and the people he meets lay the foundation for the type of filmmaking that we’ve seen in his earlier film.
Bell sincerely carries his heart on his sleeve in this film, making this a project out of love, as it hits close to home when Bell, himself, gives his account of the passing of his brother to drug addiction. Unfortunately, because Bell is trying to feed so many facts and knowledge to the viewers, parts of the film feels rushed, sacrificing the depth that normally corresponds to this type of filmmaking, instead of trying to give an overview of the issue as he sees it.
Prescription Thugs is a film that sets out to expose the truth behind this never-ending epidemic, and though some of the information may seem to barely scratch the surface, it, overall, does act as a great conversation starter. It gives just enough to whet the palate of viewers and leave them with a thirst for more, urging them to begin their own personal investigation, and, in the end, becoming more aware and knowledgeable.
Prescription Thugs is as much a solid documentary as any other, as it does exactly what a documentary should do: get the uninformed viewer to start asking the necessary questions, and not stop until you get the necessary answers.
More about Prescription Thugs
Opening in select theaters and available on iTunes and on demand on January 22, 2016
In this follow-up to his film BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER and after witnessing friends and relatives face tragedy as they become addicted to prescription drugs, Bell sets out to explore the goals of pharmaceutical companies and doctors in this ever-growing market and asks how are they any different to back-alley drug-pushers? His journey leads to experts on the nature of addiction in our culture as well as to pharmaceutical whistleblowers that testify to the solely dollar-driven aims of pharmaceutical companies. Chris meets with WWE legends such as Matthew “Horshu” Wiese and Chris Leben, with former California State Senator (now Congressman for California’s 33rd District) Ted Lieu, pharmaceutical company whistleblower Gwen Olsen, Cliffside Malibu Rehabilitation Center founder Richard Taite, Professor of Psychiatry David Healy, author of Generation RX Greg Critser, and members of his own family.
A Samuel Goldwyn Films release, Directed by Chris Bell
Executive Produced by Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley
