[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

A Thousand Junkies

  • 2017
  • R
  • 1h 15m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
475
YOUR RATING
A Thousand Junkies (2017)
ComedyDrama

Things grow more and more desperate, and ridiculous, as three heroin addicts drive all over Los Angeles in search of what they need.Things grow more and more desperate, and ridiculous, as three heroin addicts drive all over Los Angeles in search of what they need.Things grow more and more desperate, and ridiculous, as three heroin addicts drive all over Los Angeles in search of what they need.

  • Director
    • Tommy Swerdlow
  • Writers
    • Tommy Swerdlow
    • T.J. Bowen
  • Stars
    • TJ Bowen
    • Patricia Castelo Branco
    • Dennice Cisneros
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    475
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Tommy Swerdlow
    • Writers
      • Tommy Swerdlow
      • T.J. Bowen
    • Stars
      • TJ Bowen
      • Patricia Castelo Branco
      • Dennice Cisneros
    • 19User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos7

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 3
    View Poster

    Top cast16

    Edit
    TJ Bowen
    • TJ
    Patricia Castelo Branco
    • Ludmila
    Dennice Cisneros
    Dennice Cisneros
    • TJs Girlfriend
    David Darmstetter
    • Liquor Store Owner
    Dinarte de Freitas
    Dinarte de Freitas
    • Igor
    Kyrie DeMille
    • Deborah
    Blake Heron
    Blake Heron
    • Blake
    Lucinda Jenney
    Lucinda Jenney
    • Blake's Mom
    Savanah Mandel
    • Ruby
    EricJohn Priestley
    • Car Salesman
    Bill Pullman
    Bill Pullman
    • Bill Pullman
    Eddy Rimada
    • Day Laborer
    Jerry Stahl
    Jerry Stahl
    • Cab Driver
    Karen Swerdlow
    • Karen
    Tommy Swerdlow
    Tommy Swerdlow
    • Tommy
    Steven Weber
    Steven Weber
    • Moshe
    • Director
      • Tommy Swerdlow
    • Writers
      • Tommy Swerdlow
      • T.J. Bowen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    6.1475
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    10bubbakid

    Best Film to End Drug Prohibition

    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.
    10Videoverdose

    Gritty, Hilarious, Darkly Honest Drug Movie

    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.
    7jimdan1962

    Just a great little movie!

    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.
    9JakeRfilmfreak

    Awesome Movie

    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.
    10sampsonart

    VERY Realistic actually... characters are playing themselves who they used to be... literally

    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!!

    More like this

    The Family I Had
    6.7
    The Family I Had
    Mon ami Dahmer
    6.2
    Mon ami Dahmer
    Trouble
    4.5
    Trouble
    The Coldest Game
    6.2
    The Coldest Game
    Be Bad!
    6.4
    Be Bad!
    Murdaugh Murders: The Movie
    6.5
    Murdaugh Murders: The Movie
    May in the Summer
    5.7
    May in the Summer
    A Fall from Grace
    5.7
    A Fall from Grace
    La balade de Lefty Brown
    6.3
    La balade de Lefty Brown
    Walking Out
    5.8
    Walking Out
    This Fool
    7.6
    This Fool
    Le coupable
    6.1
    Le coupable

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Blake Heron (1982-2017) died on 8 Sep 2017 due to drug overdose.

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ16

    • How long is A Thousand Junkies?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 22, 2017 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The House Itself
    • Production companies
      • THI Productions
      • The Factory
      • Whitewater Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 15 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    A Thousand Junkies (2017)
    Top Gap
    By what name was A Thousand Junkies (2017) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.