A Thousand Junkies

I know some people have said this movie is unrealistic, but it was more or less pretty similar to my experience. It's been over a decade since I lived that life, but it brought back some painful memories and reminded me how lucky I am. I thought the movie did a great job of portraying what most days are like for a addict. I have been all of these characters wrap into one. Most days are the same as the day before. So, if you want to see the sequel, just rewatch this movie. Side note: Seems as though no matter where you live the dope man takes forever. Every addict has the same experience. "I'm 5 min away.... No go here instead, I'm 15 min away... I'm coming over the bridge I'm 10 min away" Just goes to show, they sell drugs for a reason. Because they're horrible businessmen.

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.

I get it that some other reviewers call this unrealistic, I really do. They probably saw their share of desperate junkies, I did as well, so comparing their life to this movie just doesn't work. The reality of heroin addiction is much worse and harsher than shown in this movie. But nevertheless A Thousand Junkies is well made, it's interesting to watch, it has some decent acting, and even though they don't look like hardcore-beyond-saving heroin addicts there are very recognizable stereotypes portrayed in this movie. The constant lying, the fake promises, never having a dime in their pockets, always looking to con, steal or do whatever it needs to be done to get their next fix, it's like watching the daily routine of any street junkie. I've lived in a big city, saw dozens of those zombies, knew some personally that drifted away from being normal to become a waste of space, so for that the story is accurate, but the reality is just so much worse. A Thousand Junkies is just a soft impression of addiction but it's enjoyable to watch.

The boneheads who are saying this is unrealistic either have no experience or don't understand that these are what you call "functioning heroin addicts" and yes they do exist and this is EXACTLY how it is for some. Of course it didnt show the really really bad side of the addiction because these guys n this movie aren't at that stage yet with their problem.. these guys are totally functioning addicts

Also for anyone saying it wasn't realistic, watch the interview with the 3 actors about their characters. They all play themselves (Bill Pullman even plays himself hahaha) and the director (who plays Tommy in the film) is reflecting on his actual life as he was a heroin addict for like 20 years and met the other two characters in AA/NA kinda like how it shows in the film. So this movie is about their experience as addicts so the people saying it's not accurate are just ignorant and don't know what they're talking about because this IS how it is and obviously how it was for them..(their acting was great too because they were playing who they used to be) The only people who will appreciate this film are those who have been there or have been through addiction and can relate in some aspect. Opiate addiction can be pretty unique on its own and like I said not all heroin addicts are homeless gutter dwellers who are dying in an alley. If you can relate at all to this film, you will more than likely love it. Very underrated flick and I applaud the director and writer and everyone else who made this film happen. Great job guys!!

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.