The pharmaceutical industry, in most countries, is not one revered for its altruistic nature. In fact, in many cases those than run this multi-billion rand/dollar industry have been declared downright inhumane and immoral.
It is this very industry that is the subject the film Pain Hustlers.
The film is based on the true story of a company called Insys Therapeutics and its founder John Kapoor. Without spoiling the plot Pain Hustlers is what you get when capitalism runs rampant and without consequences. It’s a serious commentary on the state of healthcare not only in the 90s but also in present day.
It’s compelling story of what drug companies, left to run amok, were able to achieve for the sake of profit.
The sheer impact and influence of their deliberate carelessness will, in many cases, affect people for the rest of their lives and have cost many those same lives. There could have been even more emphasis on the questionable practices of drug companies, but the film stops short of this on several occasions.
It’s true that Emily Blunt elevates any narrative that she forms a part of and can do no wrong. In this film she portrays Liza Drake, a fictitious amalgamation of several characters from the real-life story. Liza, a struggling single mother, takes a job as a pharmaceutical company and delves, headfirst, into a devious racketeering scheme of selling, or hustling, drugs. Blunt’s performance alongside Chris Evans is engaging and is most likely what makes the film worth watching.
The film, though not overly dramatics and perhaps lacking in genuine gravitas and it could have done with a bit more originality. Nevertheless, the film is an eye-opener that shines a light on problem that continues to plague society even today.
