A Thousand Junkies

Three guys start the day in their crappy car, hoping to find a fix of heroin before the sickness sets in.

A picaresque tale! I guess the title refers to all the junkies who have followed, and are to follow, the same path. This is a nice find, and gives the impression of well studied performances from actors who have seen this behavior in people they know. The only criticism is that the picaresque encounters ain't much violent or humorous - I'm not looking for exaggeration, just the natural absurdity of desperate humans colliding at random, without moralizing. Although there is one judgmental scene, with the charming dancing daughter refusing her dad's plea for help.

The editing, cinematography and sound are all good, and the pace keeps up nicely. And the LA locations are as romantically ugly as ever, with all that sun-bleached concrete. Outstanding element is the music, which creates some romance out of the hopelessness.

I wish someone would bless America.

The one reviewer that said it wasn't realistic because they only had one dealer, obviously didn't watch the movie. I found the situations they were in pretty realistic having been an addict. However, they didn't look that dope sick, but that probably wouldn't have been practical for an entertaining movie. However, given their financial situation perhaps they were barely getting well and their physical addictions weren't that bad at the time. I have been there as well, heroin can be just as much mentally addicting as it is physical. You convince yourself you are sick and need a hit when you are just a little uncomfortable.

This is the most honest and important drug movie since Trainspotting or Drugstore Cowboy, only grittier and more confined to a day-in-the-life-of three addicts. A road movie for junkies, and a hilariously dark niche comedy. Personally, I dug every minute of it, and I hope more people check it out. Three junkies drive around LA in a beat up Volvo, on a mission to score heroin before the pained desperation of dope sickness takes over. Written, directed, acted by recovering addicts (director and star Tommy Swerdlow is a veteran Hollywood screenwriter who met the other guys in rehab) this gives the characters and situations an unfiltered authenticity. Sure, there's exaggeration for entertainment's sake, but the brilliant thing about this movie is how it uses humor to portray the 9-5 job of being a junkie without glamorizing or trivializing the life. It's the drug movie America doesn't know it needs right now. The film was shot guerrilla style on the streets of LA; busy avenues, rugged alleyways, and indoor swap meets, where real-life extras stand in the background of the shot, intrigued by the camera. This kind of filming gives the scenes a real-world grit and is a testament to the its indie spirit. The cast is brilliant. Many scenes are confined to the beat up Volvo, but the chemistry between the three leads makes whatever's happening (or not happening) fun to watch. The trio (Tommy, Moshe, and Blake) are obsessed with getting money to score drugs, and that crucial necessity is the glue that holds them together. The subject matter may be darker than Mexican tar but the witty banter and irrational antics keep things moving at a swift pace. There's more than a few clever moments of character development as well, where each character slips beyond the surface to unveil their deeper dimension. The score's comprised of acoustic Mexican folk tunes and instrumental jams that compliment the urban landscape well. At a time when our nation is in the grips of an opioid epidemic, when 100+ people die of overdoses each day, it's still taboo to be a drug user. It's still taboo to talk about addiction in an honest way. We can't sweep this reality under the flag no more, and whether you believe in the power of cinema or not, it takes guts and heart to make a movie like this. Kudos to The Orchard for putting this movie out, and to the filmmakers for making it.

Amazing story about the futility of the drug war. While not as graphic as it could be this film clearly demonstrates how the criminalization of a medical issue impacts us all. While it does have some funny bits the message is clear...end this drug war now.

First, all these guys are former addicts so the acting is top notch regarding the guys "playing" addicts. There is no real action here unless you count the action of living in active addiction which there is plenty of! There are no big names unless you count the cameos by Bill Pullman and Steven Weber. This film will not be for everybody, but I'm betting almost everyone has been affected by someone else's drug use. They really nailed the active "functioning" addict lifestyle in my opinion. It's good to have Mr. Swerdlow back, he's an obvious talent that needs to be noticed and I hope he continues writing and acting. TJ Bowen and Blake Heron are excellent, they basically play themselves I'm guessing and they have serious chops. Blake has previous acting experience but this appears to be TJ's fist time and he is just great in my opinion! It is a bit slow but it's not supposed to be fast....The main reason I like this film is because I can relate to it and the guys in it, I've been clean and sober a while now.I enjoyed this much more than many of the blockbusters being cranked out daily in Hwood.