Claim: The Panic in Needle Park is a film.

The Panic in Needle Park is a 1971 American romantic drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Al Pacino , in his second film appearance . The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne , adapted from the 1966 novel by James Mills .   The film portrays life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in `` Needle Park '' -LRB- then-nickname of Sherman Square on Manhattan 's Upper West Side near 72nd Street and Broadway -RRB- . The film is a love story between Bobby -LRB- Pacino -RRB- , a young addict and small-time hustler , and Helen -LRB- Kitty Winn -RRB- , a restless woman whom finds Bobby charismatic . She becomes an addict , and life goes downhill for them both as their addictions worsen , eventually leading to a series of betrayals .