DIE, JUNKIE! DIE! DIE!

Rating: 1/10 (21 February 2001)

This is truly the most tedious, boring, trite, contrived and uninspired film I have ever had the misfortune to sit through. It was so boring that I wanted to walk out of the cinema after the first hour. My companion almost fell asleep. I felt nothing for the characters, who were not really established as rounded, believable people. Some of the visual tricks were repeated constantly and lost all novelty or interest after the first hour. At that point the direction of the plot also became utterly predictable and it just felt so horrendously repetitious. I felt like getting up and shouting at the screen "Die, junkie! Die! Die! I want to get out of here! ", but I didn't want to disturb the other patrons.
***SLIGHT SPOILER *** I was also very offended at the way ECT Treatment was shown in the film. The participant was fully awake. Now I don't know about the U.S, but people are generally knocked out when they receive this treatment in the U.K., and have been for at least 20 years (I know someone who has had the treatment). This is treatment of last resort for people who don't respond to any other kind of treatment. It is not perfect and can have unfortunate side effects, but has saved a lot of people from the slough of despond or even suicide. This was the last straw in destroying any limited respect I might have had for the director. He is just a purveyor of sensationalist claptrap masquerading as deep social comment. *****SPOILER ENDS****.
I don't care that it had a worthy theme - addictions are bad and can destroy your life. The theme has been trawled over so many times that we don't need another attempt, especially one as bad as this. Though it might shock and offend the very sensitive, it didn't shock me. I didn't seem real for even a moment. If anything the visual tricks were wasted, because they just had a distancing effect. All in all, I can honestly say this is the worst film I have ever seen.