Wow, such a crazy informative true story. Newb filmmaker John Swab casted, produced, wrote and directed this docu-type film, and did a decent job.
It is well directed and shot, and the casting was decent with Frank Grillo performing and narrating the true facts of this film. My only casting issue was Jack Kilmer as Utah; he performed well as a junkie, but after rehab he still had that monotonic expressionless boring demeanor. I'm not sure if it was his acting failing to turn-up a few notches, or Swab not directing him properly, or both, but his role in the second act was disappointing.
The score and cinematography were on point, but the 111 min runtime felt much longer with the film's often slow pacing. Swab's screenplay wasn't perfect, but told the story he was aiming to tell, quite well - enough to anger most people who have had trouble with addiction, or know someone close to them that has been through the system. Although a compelling story, the plot was too plain, but at least the details were vivid enough to keep you watching until the end. It's educational and investigative into an exploitative crime surrounding addiction. It certainly opened my eyes. Props to newb filmmaker Swab for putting this little gem together.
Overall more interesting than exciting, but nevertheless a story that really needed to be told - and I'm surprised it took this long.
