Summary

Pain Hustlers, despite its flashy style, fails to effectively address the important issue of the opioid crisis and its impact on the public. The film focuses more on glamorizing the lifestyles of those involved in unethical schemes, rather than examining the consequences of their actions. Emily Blunt’s strong performance as the protagonist is a standout in an otherwise disappointing film that lacks substance and meaningful commentary on corporate greed.

Editor’s note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

We’ve seen it over and over again in the last decade — anti-corporate messaging and “eat the rich” stories onscreen. Even within the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Dumb Money showcased a big battle against Wall Street hedge fund managers, and The Burial saw the impossible David vs. Goliath story between a small family business and the Loewen Funeral Company. With the changing times, these stories become more popular to demonstrate the power of “the little guy” when it comes to justice. The next on this wave of corporate takedowns is Netflix’s Pain Hustlers starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans as money hungry pharmaceutical sales reps willing to do what’s necessary to make a buck. But instead of making a powerful story about the opioid crisis, Pain Hustlers opts for overly flashy yet generic storytelling.

Based on the book by Evan Hughes, the story follows Liza Drake (Blunt) as a down-and-out single mother who recently lost her job. Desperate to make ends meet for her daughter Phoebe (Chloe Coleman), Drake takes an offer from Pete Brenner (Evans), a slimy pharmaceutical sales representative with a lust for all things money. After a slow start, Drake quickly climbs the corporate ladder, which sees her swimming in a pool of financial success and able to take care of Phoebe’s medical needs. But when the company becomes entangled in the opioid crisis, Liza reexamines her involvement by taking down her increasingly unhinged boss Jack Neel (Andy Garcia).

Amit Shah, Emily Blunt & Chris Evans in Pain Hustlers

In its attempt to be worthy enough to follow its predecessors, Pain Hustlers comes off flashy and unreasonably timid in its attempt to take down Big Pharma on screen. The story is all about Drake’s rise in ranks within the pharmaceutical industry, but it never really directs these efforts to the inherent causes of the opioid crisis. Of course, Pain Hustlers is entertaining. There are a plethora of parties and showy personalities that are intended to make you laugh while having a good time. However, director David Yates’ incorporation of mockumentary-styled sequences solidifies its lack of commitment to the important message.

To keep things fair, the script does display how the opioid crisis isn’t just a Big Pharma issue. In fact, Wells Tower’s script incorporates the growing network of unethical decisions made by multiple parties. There are the sales reps Liza and Pete, the bribed doctor (Brian d’Arcy James), and Garcia’s CEO — all representing the chain of command and the group effort when it comes to decisions that affect the public. But instead of making this the focus of the story, it all goes back to amplifying the glamorous lifestyles that come from these schemes, setting the stage for where the audience should put their priorities.

Emily Blunt and Chris Evans in Pain Hustlers

The saving grace of Pain Hustlers is Blunt, who performs with an equal balance of tenacity and emotional strength. Thanks to her performance, it’s easy to root for Liza’s successes, even if it may go against your instinct to cheer against Big Pharma. This component also enables us to examine what we understand to be morally gray: The feeling of doing the wrong things for the right reasons. Oddly enough, Evans seems like he’s out of his element in a role that feels miscast because he cannot keep up with Blunt’s range. It’s disappointing, to say the least, but it goes to show just how important it is to get this story right. Unfortunately, aside from Blunt, the filmmakers do not.

Ultimately, Pain Hustlers is a mixed bag of entertainment that opts for flashiness instead of focusing on the important elements of the story at hand — the people affected by the carelessness of others. In this case, the network of sales representatives and doctors who meticulously designed a scheme to cross ethical lines for a big paycheck isn’t focused on enough, especially in a film that deems itself a criticism of the responsible parties. But Blunt’s performance is so good that all is not lost with Yates’ dramatic showcase of the opioid crisis. But if you’re looking for something with actual meaning and a script that takes a stance on corporate greed, look elsewhere. This one’s all style over substance.

Pain Hustlers premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. It will be released in limited theaters on October 20th and on Netflix on October 27. The film is 122 minutes and rated R for some sexual content, drug use, nudity, and language throughout.