A Thousand Junkies

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.

I won't do a summary since there is already one.

Keep in mind if you live in SoCal you understand this is not really a true take on junkies (most of us here have one or more in the family) - it is a joke about junkies. And yes my opinion you should be able to joke about things without Everyone jumping on the PC police wagon.

This is something not to take serious, but crack a beer eat bbq, relax have a laugh - heck they even tossed in a Russian talking about the Armenians. The three characters pretty much covered most of the personality type - there is always one junkie worried about unpaid warrants and driving.

Cinematography/scene setting was done nicely, clothing/costumes realistic. It's all just a fun average weekend movie.

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.

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.

Independent filmmaking at it's finest in my opinion. A straight laced honest portrayal of drug addiction, and the hoops one will go through to get them. The premise of the movie is very simple and to the point.

Tommy, T. J, and Blake, are three friends going around town all day trying to get their fix.

Tommy Swerdlow did an awesome job writing and directing this movie. The dialogue is realistic, and the characters really make you feel for their situation. Although funny at times, it does a good job of not sensationalizing addiction.

I love this movie, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good indie movies.