Family members whose loved ones have died from opioid abuse take center stage in the new Netflix limited series Painkiller which charts the origin and heights of the opioid crisis in the United States. While the series blends fact and fiction, the show dedicates a moment to highlight real-life stories at the top of each episode. During these segments, the subjects deliver the typical “true story” disclaimer before sharing their own personal experiences with opioid abuse.
The statements are incredibly harrowing and set the somber tone for each episode, while also proving that the show’s creators are aware of the seriousness of the topic being discussed.
The final episode opens with a particularly emotional testimony from two parents grieving the loss of their 28-year-old son who died from an opioid overdose.
“This program is based on real events, however certain characters, names, incidents, locations and dialogue has been fictionalized for dramatic purposes,” says a woman at the top of the episode.
The man beside her adds, “However, our story is not fiction. We lost our son Riley at 28 years old,” while holding a photo of their son.
The father chokes up as he continues to tell his story.
“He became addicted to OxyContin from a back injury. He tried his hardest to get right and get straight again, and get sober. He just couldn’t do it. He was a wonderful kid. He had the biggest heart you ever saw. And our lives will never be the same,” he says.
At the end of his brief story, he looks away from the camera and begins crying while his partner comforts him.
Each episode begins with a similar story that drives home the impact of the over 300,000 lives lost to opioid abuse. The testimony at the start of the third episode details a parent who lost their 24-year-old son to OxyContin after they had only taken a single pill. “Time does not heal all wounds,” the parent says to the camera. “Grief is not a process. It’s a lifelong weight on our heart and on our soul.”
A third statement shows a parent reminiscing about her daughter who died from opioid addiction. “She was full of life and love, and I miss her. I miss everything about her. Every day I wake and I make sure I look at her because I never want to go a day without remembering the joy she brought me,” she states.
Told over six episodes, Painkiller focuses on a variety of stories, telling the story of the opioid crisis from the perspectives of the makers, the victims, and those who sought to hold Purdue Pharma accountable for the lives ruined by OxyContin.
Matthew Broderick plays Richard Sackler, the chairman and president of the company that developed OxyContin, Uzo Aduba plays Edie, an investigator looking to expose the truth about the drug company (which, in real life, pled guilty to three counts of criminal charges related to the mishandling of the drug), Taylor Kitsch plays Glen Kryger, a family man prescribed OxyContin to recover from an injury, and West Duchovny plays Shannon Schaeffer, a young woman hired by Purdue Pharma to sell the medication to medical offices.
The series is based on the book of the same name by Barry Meier and the New Yorker Magazine article “The Family That Built the Empire of Pain” by Patrick Radden Keefe.
Painkiller is currently streaming on Netflix.