He cuts through a cross-section of the epidemic to expose some harsh truths. Most of the time, the truth is ugly. It shows us things that horrify us. It takes us on a trip where all roads come to a dead end. It doesn't really end, but reflects the continuing struggles of those involved.
Happy endings are for fairytales.
This is real life. Soderbergh has picked the perfect cast to tell his cautionary tale. Michael Douglas is a raw nerve as Robert Wakefield, the new United States Drug Czar, a man so self-involved with the war on drugs that he doesn't even realize that it has hit home. Newcomer Erika Christensen is devastating as Wakefield's perfect daughter Caroline, whose descent into hell goes unnoticed by her father. Gaghan's screenplay is extremely telling.