Painkiller

I confess, I often look at Rotten Tomatoes to see what other reviews are saying before I watch something, especially if it's a TV series where there is a potential for a large amount of my time to be consumed. Like everyone, I only have so much free time. It was my wife's recommendation to watch "Painkiller," based on her friend's advice. As I write this, currently Rotten Tomatoes has "Painkiller" at 49% and an audience score of 61%. Well I'm here to tell you, ignore this. It reminded me of "The Big Short" (the movie about the housing marketing collapse in 2008). I loved that film. "Painkiller" is about the Opioid crisis; more specifically, how Richard Sackler's (Matthew Broderick) pharmaceutical company, Purdue, turned OxyContin into one of the most prescribed drugs in America. OxyContin, the stuff is basically heroin. It has killed hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed as many families. I found this series to be just as riveting as it is heartbreaking. Each episode begins with a true tale of a person who has lost someone because of this drug. This is a story about power and greed and evil. It's worth every minute of your time. Catch this addictive show (oh I couldn't resist! - forgive me) now streaming on Netflix.