Overblown

Rating: 1/10 (5 August 2006)

I give this one out of ten to emphasise that I do not think this should be in the IMDb top 250. Undoubtedly it is an honest, somewhat rare and powerful attack on heroin, uppers and cocaine. The acting and pace are good too. What spoilt it for me was the special effects and sound effects constantly over laboured the horrors of drug withdrawal and the psychological impact it brought. As another person has commented I felt I was being bluntly manipulated into a situation where I would feel 'devastated' by the whole experience. Knowing that this was the case I consciously switched off from these bits. I have no objections to a film which leaves me emotionally whacked out, but I prefer it to be done in a more subtle way.