What are some movies that truly depict addiction?

Question

Any kind of addiction - alcohol, drugs, sex, food, smoking - what are the best ones?

Answer 1

From living in a home with drug addicted parents I know what real drug addicts look like and how they behave. The most REALISTIC depictions of drug use are

The Basketball Diaries
Ray
Less Than Zero
Leaving Las Vegas
Gia
When a Man Loves a Woman is sanitized but its still a good movie. I think thats more about the struggle of the loved ones of addicts than about the addiction itself.

If you really want to see some serious real life drug addicts, there is a documentary from HBO called "Dope Sick Love" That is about as real as it gets.

Answer 2

Alcohol: When a Man Loves a Woman, 28 Days, Leaving Las Vegas, Clean and Sober, Days of Wine and Roses (old movie), The Rose (thinly veiled biography of Janis Joplin and her addiction to alcohol and drugs), The Lost Weekend

Drugs: Trainspotting, Requium for a Dream, Drugstore Cowboy, Rush, Jungle Fever (subplot with crack addicts), Lady Sings the Blues (Billie Holiday and her addiction to morphine/heroin), Gia (HBO movie--heroin addiction), High Art (heroin), Down to the Bone

Sex: Autofocus, I Am a Sex Addict, Looking for Mr. Goodbar

Smoking: Thank You for Smoking, The Insider

Answer 3

There are a couple old ones that spring to mind; may seem a bit tame by today's standards, but at the same time, they are quite gruelling when you consider they were done 50 years ago.

They are The Lost Weekend (1945, about alcoholism) and The Man with the Golden Arm (1955, about drug addiction).

I second the recommendation of Trainspotting.

Answer 4

tru confessions each and all of the Little Animals (1999) Antonia's Line (1995) Being There (1979) terrific Boy (1979) Director: Irving Wohl invoice (1981) invoice, On His own (1982) Charley (1968) Dodes'ka-den (1970) Dominick and Eugene (1988) Forrest Gump (1994) I Stand on my own (1999) Homer and Eddie (1989) Director: Andrei Konchalovsky coronary heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The (1968) Mifune (Sony Classics, 2000) Director: Soren Kragh-Jacobsen Molly (1999) Of Mice and men (1939) Of Mice and men (1992) on the Waterfront (1954) Director: Elia Kazan different Sister, The (1999) Sling Blade (1996) Director: Billy Bob Thornton ordinary Plan, A (Paramount photos, 1998) Director: Sam Raimi solid: invoice Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Bridget Fonda, Jack Walsh, Chelcie Ross, Becky Ann Baker, Gary Cole MPAA score: R bathe, The (Sony photos Classics, 2000) (Xizao) Director: Zhang Yang Tim (1979) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) what's eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

Answer 5

If you are looking for something a little bit outside the box of typical addictions (drugs, sex, etc) check out American Psycho. This film is all about a man's addiction to killing people,

Answer 6

I love The Basketball Diaries. I think it was an incredible movie with a very realistic look at drug addiction. The book was good too. Leonardo DiCaprio was awesome in his portrayal of Jim Carrol.

Answer 7

"The Panic In Needle Park" starring a young Al Pacino is in my opinion the best movie to deal with addiction. In this case drug addiction. The movie follows the life of a junkie (Pacino) who pulls his innocent girlfriend (Kitty Wynn, Sharon the secretary of "Exorcist" fame) into his tortured world of self destruction. The movie is also a study in character of the various street people Pacino interacts with. Very disturbing but a great movie all the same. I highly recommend it.

Answer 8

Check out Spun, it's a disturbing view of meth addiction through the eyes of the addicted. Stars Mickey Rourke, Brittany Murphy and John Leguizamo.

Answer 9

Requiem for a Dream (deals with a couple different addictions), Trainspotting (heroin addiction), Leaving Las Vegas (alcoholism)

Answer 10

Leaving Las Vegas is a good one for alcohol addiction.