ULTIMATE DRUG LIST: Modern Films & TV Shows About Drugs/Pharmaceuticals
by MovieGurl23 | created - 29 Sep 2014 | updated - 22 Sep 2021 | PublicThis list is a compilation of some of the most popular modern films and TV shows (mostly from the 1990s to present) that involve the use and/or abuse of drugs/pharmaceuticals or the topic of drugs or addiction. They are in no particular order.
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1. Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.
Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt
Votes: 2,133,338
At the epicenter of this incendiary show is Heisenberg's infamous blue meth, a trademark for an entire generation of Breaking Bad fans and beyond. Even more so at the core of BB, there is an "all or nothing" addictive tendency imbedded into the character's DNA. Whether it is achieving power/being the best (Hank), money (the drug kingpins), booze/meth/heroin(Jesse & the shows other drug addicts), minerals or catching Heisenberg (Hank), shoplifting/stealing/needing everything purple (Marie), infidelity and chain smoking (Sklyer), or the need to control and stevia (Lydia), each character had an addictive, dark side to them. From start to finish, this show has an addictive quality to it, which is just as powerful as its pure blue meth sold to the show's addicts.
Drugs on Show: Meth, Booze, Marijuana, Heroin.
Drug of Choice: Blue Meth
2. Nurse Jackie (2009–2015)
TV-MA | 27 min | Comedy, Drama
A drug-addicted nurse struggles to find a balance between the demands of her frenetic job at a New York City hospital and an array of personal dramas.
Stars: Edie Falco, Merritt Wever, Paul Schulze, Dominic Fumusa
Votes: 29,311
What could be better than a hospital nurse banging the pharmacist because she's addicted to pharmaceuticals, which from time to time are artistically made into a montage of pills flying through the in sky all shapes, sizes, and colors while she's passed out on the floor. Of course the show is much more than this, with real emotions and family concerns. As the show progresses we see how dedicated and caring Jackie is as a nurse. Although she is better at taking care of strangers than herself and her own family. This show realistically characterizes the ups and downs in the life of an addict, exploring subjects like AA/NA meetings, sponsorship, rehab, detox, recovery, and relapse. But I love the crazy scenes that are like dreams or hallucinations when Jackie is using again. The show seems to get more fun when she is back off the wagon, unfortunately so.
DRUGS on Show: A multitude of pharmaceuticals from Oxy, morphine, vicodin, Adderall, meth, suboxone, valium, Xanax, and the list goes on.
Drug of Choice: Oxy
3. House M.D. (2004–2012)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, Mystery
Using a crack team of doctors and his wits, an antisocial maverick doctor specializing in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way.
Stars: Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jesse Spencer
Votes: 512,665
Who can mention drug-addicted TV/movies without mentioning good old Dr. Gregory House. Vicodin popping is a constant occurrence on this show along with a crash course in rare diseases to every medical test on the planet. Mix in some humor, drama, great writing, and acting, and man do you have a great show.
Drugs On Show (Mentioned or Used): Ecstasy, PCP, Vicodin, Morphin, Percocet, Lorazapem, Diazapam, Xanax, etc.
Drug of Choice: Vicodin
4. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
R | 102 min | Drama
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
Votes: 898,006 | Gross: $3.64M
The ultimate drug movie. A tale of several addicts intertwined and how their dreams slowly fade into nightmares as their addictions overcome them. A devastating and rash ending to a film. But appropriate considering the topic at hand.
Music and Sounds effects/Visuals are Visceral and trippy.
Drugs in Movie: Pills (Uppers/Downers), Speed, Coke, Heroin
Drugs of Choice: Heroin
5. Spun (2002)
R | 101 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A drug dealer introduces one of his customers, a 'speed freak', to the man who runs the meth lab. A crazy three-day adventure ensues.
Director: Jonas Åkerlund | Stars: Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Brittany Murphy
Votes: 40,733 | Gross: $0.41M
An independent drug movie centered around a bunch of meth addicts with crazy nicknames (Spider Mike-John Leguzamo, Cookie- Mena Suvari, Ross- Jason Schwartman, Brittany Murphy) and the "" (Mickey Rourke). Trippy visuals, great music by Billy Corrigan from the Smashing Pumpkins, and bump after bump of meth. Your brain feels spun just watching the film.
Drug of Choice: Meth
6. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
R | 101 min | Crime, Drama
A pharmacy-robbing dope fiend and his crew pop pills and evade the law.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, James Le Gros, Heather Graham
Votes: 40,600 | Gross: $4.73M
One of the first of its kind. A classic for any modern drug-moving seeker. Robbing Pharmacies is the name of the game with heavy duty pharms taken along with heroin. Special appearance by William Burroughs, the beatnik poet who wrote THE tale of heroin addiction, "Junkie."
7. Rush (1991)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Two small-town Texas cops go undercover to catch a major drug dealer and are sucked into the drug culture, compromising their assignment.
Director: Lili Fini Zanuck | Stars: Jason Patric, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sam Elliott, Max Perlich
Votes: 9,882 | Gross: $7.24M
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Patrik do a great job portraying undercover cops caught up in the drug scene and soon get lured into the drugs themselves. Another great classic for drug-movie lovers.
8. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
R | 118 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
An oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychedelic escapades.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Michael Lee Gogin
Votes: 301,377 | Gross: $10.68M
A cinematic homage to Hunter S. Thompson (the king of drugs and gonzo journalism). Fear and Loathing is a wild, out there kind of a movie that is held in high regard for is wild plotlines and characters all centered around a drug-fueled adventure through Las Vegas.
9. Summer of Sam (1999)
R | 142 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Spike Lee's take on the "Son of Sam" murders in New York City during the summer of 1977 centering on the residents of an Italian-American Northeast Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one another.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino, Jennifer Esposito
Votes: 41,285 | Gross: $19.28M
Great Spike Lee film set during the 70s exploring various cultural trends during the summer where serial killer Son of Sam roamed the streets. Excellent cast and excellent portrayal of the time the actual events took plcae. Ludes, heroin, coke. Studio 54. Punk rock. Disco.
10. Sherrybaby (2006)
R | 96 min | Drama
Sherry tries to integrate again into society and become a good mother.
Director: Laurie Collyer | Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ryan Simpkins, Sam Bottoms, Michelle Hurst
Votes: 12,064 | Gross: $0.20M
Great film starring Maggie Gyllehal, who struggles with addiction to heroin. Must see.
11. Ecstasy (II) (2011)
TV-MA | 99 min | Drama, Romance
Small drug smuggler from Scotland is trying to figure out his way through life until he meets beautiful girl from Canada who seeks a change after bad relationship she just got out of it.
Director: Robert Heydon | Stars: Adam Sinclair, Kristin Kreuk, Billy Boyd, Carlo Rota
Votes: 1,913
Irvine Welsh's follow up to "Trainspotting," which I left off this list since it's on every other list about drugs, and I personally liked the storyline of Ecstasy better. You be your own judge. Bring on the X!
12. Traffic (2000)
R | 147 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A conservative judge is appointed by the President to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is a crack addict. Two DEA agents protect an informant. A jailed drug baron's wife attempts to carry on the family business.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jacob Vargas
Votes: 219,670 | Gross: $124.12M
Awesome film exploring a variety of points of view of the war on drugs, from the front lines to the lines at home. Ericka Christensen's break out role as a heroin/coke addict. Good watch.
13. Training Day (2001)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger
Votes: 472,522 | Gross: $76.63M
Ethan Hawke and Denzel. Perfect dichotomy between these two actors in the backdrop of a hard day out on the streets of a drug fueled society. Classic drug movie.
14. The Salton Sea (2002)
R | 103 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
After a tragic incident, a man drifts into a world populated by thugs and speed junkies.
Director: D.J. Caruso | Stars: Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Goldberg, Luis Guzmán
Votes: 32,007 | Gross: $0.76M
Val Kilmer plays a meth head, hanging around other meth heads, struggling with his past and own inner demons. Decent movie. Not always mentioned on other "drug movie" lists.
15. Wonderland (2003)
R | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In the police investigation of a brutal crime scene, one man was at the center of it all: legendary porn star John Holmes.
Director: James Cox | Stars: Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow, Kate Bosworth, Christina Applegate
Votes: 23,286 | Gross: $1.06M
Based on the true story of the Wonderland murders in the early 1980s. Val Kilmer is amazing as Johnny Wadd (infamous porn star at the time). Dylan McDermott is unrecognizable as the heroin addicted, hard yet sensitive character who challenges John's (Val Kilmer) version of the story of what happened the night of the Wonderland murders. Josh Lucas plays a crazed coke head with a love for guns. Christina Applegate, Lisa Kudrow, and Kate Bosworth round out the amazing cast. This movie is all drugs galour...sleeping pills, ludes, heroin, cocaine, crack. A drug-fueled movie about an epic and amazingly captivating true story. A MUST see!
16. Gia (1998 TV Movie)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The story of the life of Gia Carangi, a top fashion model from the late 1970s, from her meteoric rise to the forefront of the modeling industry, to her untimely death.
Director: Michael Cristofer | Stars: Angelina Jolie, Faye Dunaway, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mercedes Ruehl
Votes: 50,238
Angelia's breakout role as Gia, a former model, who succumbed to drug addiction and illness. Heroin and coke are the two main drugs of choice for Gia, other than wild emotions and sexual escapades. Based on a true story. Great film
17. Prozac Nation (2001)
R | 95 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A young woman struggles with depression during her first year at Harvard.
Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg | Stars: Christina Ricci, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jessica Lange, Anne Heche
Votes: 18,993
Based on the book of the same name, Prozac Nation, tells the story of Elizabeth Wurtzel, a promising creative writer/college student, who Is almost as obsessed with Lou Reed as she is with her fascination with her philosophy of the world becoming a "Prozac nation." Akin to partying, her internal turmoil soon spins out of control. The film dabbles in pharmaceuticals, ecstasy, alcohol. Christina Ricci plays the role well. Decent movie.
18. Girl, Interrupted (1999)
R | 127 min | Biography, Drama
A directionless teenager, Susanna, is rushed to Claymoore, a mental institution, after a supposed suicide attempt. There, she befriends a group of troubled women who deeply influence her life.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy
Votes: 211,130 | Gross: $28.87M
Award-winning film that takes us into a women's psych ward during the 1960s. The acting, script, direction, is impeccable. One of the best films I've ever seen. Pharmaceuticals, booze, and pot, are the films' drugs of choice. Based on a book, by an author who experienced the hardships and adventures told of in this film. Wionna Ryder, Woopi Goldberg, Angelina Jolie (Academy award winner for this film), Jared Leto, Brittany Murphy, among several others, star in this film making it one of the best films of the past twenty years.
19. Devil's Playground (2002)
77 min | Documentary
Amish teenagers experience and embrace the modern world as a rite-of-passage before deciding which life they will choose.
Director: Lucy Walker | Stars: Velda Bontrager, Mark Bontrager, Dewayne Chupp, Dylan Cole
Votes: 2,703
Eye-opening documentary about Rumpringa, a time when the teenage Amish get to explore the wild world outside the confines of their Amish homes. Explores many experiences and characters. Drugs are mentioned throughout the movie. However, the larger plot at hand in this movie is far more eye opening. Amazing documentary.
20. Methadonia (2005 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 87 min | Documentary
There's one cure for heroin addiction. But is it a cure? Methadonia is the borderland between high and straight, where recovering heroin addicts on methadone "maintenance" exist.
Director: Michel Negroponte | Stars: Michel Negroponte, Bill, Eddie, George
Votes: 225
Great documentary for any junkie looking for a drug-film fix. Talks about Methadone and the mixing of benzos for the "ultimate high." Discusses topics of recovery and relapse. Interesting documentary.
21. Heroin Town (2004)
TV-14 | 82 min | Documentary
The Hotel Hooker was once a quiet rooming house nestled in the suburbs of Connecticut. In the summer of 2003, the national media exploited it as a drug stop, a prostitution ring, and a ... See full summary »
Director: Josh Goldbloom
Votes: 91
Documentary about heroin.
22. Cocaine Cowboys (2006)
R | 118 min | Documentary, Crime, History
The story of how Miami became the cocaine capital of the United States in the early 1980's and the police officers who turned the tide on crime.
Director: Billy Corben | Stars: Jon Roberts, Al Sunshine, Sam Burstyn, Mickey Munday
Votes: 14,089 | Gross: $0.15M
Documentary about the cocaine kingpin of Florida back when cocaine was the "it" drug in America. Tells the story of the female drug tycoon behind the drug movement. A must see.
23. Blow (2001)
R | 124 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of how George Jung, along with the Medellín Cartel headed by Pablo Escobar, established the American cocaine market in the 1970s in the United States.
Director: Ted Demme | Stars: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Franka Potente, Rachel Griffiths
Votes: 274,940 | Gross: $52.99M
Another staple in any junkie's movie collection. Copious amounts of cocaine and weed. Enough said.
24. Ray (I) (2004)
PG-13 | 152 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell
Votes: 157,349 | Gross: $75.33M
Although there is a lot to this biopic, heroin addiction plays a role in a greater part of the film, which is why it is on this list. An excellent film and impeccable acting work by Jaimie Foxx.
25. Lost Angels: Skid Row Is My Home (2010)
Not Rated | 77 min | Documentary, News
Narrated by Catherine Keener, Lost Angeles takes an uncompromising yet life-affirming look at the lives of eight remarkable individuals, people who have found a way to make a life for themselves within the community of homelessness..
Director: Thomas Napper | Stars: Kevin Cohen, Manuel Compito, Danny Harris, Linda Harris
Votes: 663 | Gross: $0.01M
One of the best documentaries in the past 5 years. Discusses Skid Row is Los Angeles as a home for many people. Drug addiction is of course a subject discussed. On a whole though, an amazing story. Available on Netflix too :)
26. Down to the Bone (2004)
R | 104 min | Drama
A woman stuck in a stale marriage struggles to raise her children and manage her secret drug habit. But when winter comes to her small town, her balancing act begins to come crashing down.
Director: Debra Granik | Stars: Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon, Clint Jordan, Caridad 'La Bruja' De La Luz
Votes: 2,438 | Gross: $0.02M
Gritty independent film about heroin addiction. Stars Vera Farminga before all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Very true and real story. Excellent choice.
27. Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (2008– )
60 min | Drama, Reality-TV
Eight celebrities check into rehab under Dr. Drew for 21 days.
Stars: Drew Pinsky, Shelly Sprague, Bob Forrest, William Smith
Votes: 1,478
What's a Movie/TV drug list without this staple!
28. Relapse (2011– )
Reality-TV
RELAPSE is the new docu-reality series on A&E that follows sober coaches as they work to save the lives of addicts who have relapsed on drugs and alcohol. "Sober coaching" is a last resort ... See full summary »
Stars: Seth Jaffe, Patty Powers, Douglas Caine
Votes: 25
A newer series about the recovery process, and what happens when a relapse occurs.
29. Intervention (2005– )
TV-14 | 44 min | Documentary, Drama
Addicts try to overcome their addictions with the help of their families and others.
Stars: Candy Finnigan, Jeff VanVonderen, Ken Seeley, Donna Chavous
Votes: 3,028
The TV show that started it all by revealing the drug epidemic in our country to worldwide audiences. Filming each gritty detail of a person in a normal home shooting up shocked audiences for the first time and also changed the perception of what a junkie "should look like." Every drug and chemical from Heroin and prescription Opiates to Benzos to Alcohol to Marijuana to Cocaine/Crack to Meth to PCP have been mentioned on this show at one time or another.
30. Straight A's (2013)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama
Pressured by his deceased mother's ghost to return home to the family he abandoned, a former addict grabs a bag of pills and a sack of marijuana and hits the road to Louisiana.
Director: James Cox | Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Anna Paquin, Luke Wilson, Riley Thomas Stewart
Votes: 4,829
Ryan Phillipe plays a pill-popping brother who just shows up unexpectedly at his brother/wife's home. Pharmaceuticals used here and there during the movie, but overall more of a drama movie.
31. 25th Hour (2002)
R | 135 min | Drama
Cornered by the DEA, convicted New York drug dealer Montgomery Brogan reevaluates his life in the 24 remaining hours before facing a seven-year jail term.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Edward Norton, Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson
Votes: 184,622 | Gross: $13.06M
Another Spike Lee classic. Post 9/11- a former big time heroin dealer is going to prison. The film takes place the last 25 hours before he goes inside. Great actors, cinematography and direction. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, Barry Pepper, Anna Paquin, Rosario Dawson, round out the cast. An intense trippy drug scene with Anna Paquin on ecstasy dancing and flirting with her HS teacher (PhillipSHoffman) is amazing. . Booze runs throughout the film like a neverending waterfall. And of course heroin is mentioned but not used. Excellent storyline nonetheless and another view of the drug world and the story of a man born in America with potential and where he ends up.
32. 28 Days (2000)
PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy, Drama
A big-city newspaper columnist is forced to enter a drug and alcohol rehab center after ruining her sister's wedding and crashing a stolen limousine.
Director: Betty Thomas | Stars: Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West, Elizabeth Perkins
Votes: 54,396 | Gross: $37.17M
The ultimate rehab movie. Pills and booze. Sandra Bullock and great script. Nice film. A classic.
33. Factory Girl (2006)
R | 90 min | Biography, Drama
Based on the rise and fall of socialite Edie Sedgwick, concentrating on her relationships with Andy Warhol and a folk singer.
Director: George Hickenlooper | Stars: Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Hayden Christensen, Jimmy Fallon
Votes: 22,328 | Gross: $1.66M
The Story of Edie Sedgwick and her descent into drug addiction. The story line takes us back through her days with Andy Warhol's right hand girl and her liason with Bob Dylan. A lot of drugs flow through this movie. Sad but interesting.
34. Black Swan (2010)
R | 108 min | Drama, Thriller
Nina is a talented but unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her artistic director and a seductive rival, Nina's grip on reality slips, plunging her into a waking nightmare.
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder
Votes: 824,129 | Gross: $106.95M
Not your usual "drug" movie. But Aronfsky just has a feel for making these dark, intense dramas that usually involve drugs at some point. Although there is only one scene where pills are taken and alcohol consumed, there is an overall trippy feeling to the film. This award-winning movie is one of a kind.
35. Thirteen (2003)
R | 100 min | Drama
A thirteen-year-old girl's relationship with her mother is put to the test as she discovers drugs, sex, and petty crime in the company of her cool but troubled best friend.
Director: Catherine Hardwicke | Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Holly Hunter, Nikki Reed, Vanessa Hudgens
Votes: 97,943 | Gross: $4.60M
Young teenagers introduced to drugs for the first time. Good flick.
36. Wasted (2002 TV Movie)
R | 96 min | Drama
Texan small town high school buddies Chris, Owen Turner and Samantha 'Sam' Campbell were inconspicuous, bored and feeling blasé about anti-drug campaigns, so they 'experiment'. After OD'ed ... See full summary »
Director: Stephen Kay | Stars: Nick Stahl, Summer Phoenix, Aaron Paul, Britt Irvin
Votes: 658
Underestimated movie. And one of the best drug movies out there. Aaron Paul's first film. River Phoenix's (who died of an overdose) sister, Summer. And Nick Stahl who in real life went to die from his problem with drugs. The cast is deeply connected to this drug world and play drug addicts amazingly. I love this film and always will even though I found it by accident and never got enough credit. Heroin is a huge part of the film. But the acting is great too. Love it :)
37. Kids (1995)
Unrated | 91 min | Drama
A day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking and deflowering virgins.
Director: Larry Clark | Stars: Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloë Sevigny, Sarah Henderson
Votes: 84,596 | Gross: $7.42M
The movie that started it all. The first of it's kind. Fiction filmed like a documentary on drugs and HIV. Chloe Sevingy and Rosario Dawson, who later have become renowned actresses, starred in this indie flick just as young kids. This film has come to represent the underbelly of teenage drug use and underage sex. Although it still feels too 90s to me. We need a Kids 2.0 version...
38. Bully (2001)
R | 108 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A pack of naïve teenagers conspire to murder a mutual friend, whose aggressive demeanour has proven too much.
Director: Larry Clark | Stars: Brad Renfro, Nick Stahl, Bijou Phillips, Rachel Miner
Votes: 40,502 | Gross: $1.54M
From the people who brought you Kids, here's another film about a bunch of bored and frenzied kids who get into trouble with sex, booze, drugs, and even murder. Based on a true story (believe or not). Brad Renfro stars in the film (who died of a drug overdose in real life), along with Nick Stahl, another star who overdosed on heroin.
39. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
R | 134 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Laura Palmer's harrowing final days are chronicled one year after the murder of Teresa Banks, a resident of Twin Peaks' neighboring town.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 105,084 | Gross: $4.16M
The highly anticipated film prequel to the popular television series "Twin Peaks." David Lynch's genius tells the story of Laura Palmer, a troubled high schooler with an array of lovers and a love for the nose candy. Cocaine is this film's main drug of choice although something is slipped into drinks at a bar too. Enjoy the wild and crazy world of David Lynch
40. Smashed (2012)
R | 81 min | Drama
A married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of alcohol gets their relationship put to the test when the wife decides to get sober.
Director: James Ponsoldt | Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally
Votes: 17,704 | Gross: $0.38M
Great indie film starring Aaron Paul about the addiction of alcoholism.
41. Half Nelson (2006)
R | 106 min | Drama
An inner-city junior high school teacher with a drug habit forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students after she discovers his secret.
Director: Ryan Fleck | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Shareeka Epps, Jeff Lima
Votes: 91,878 | Gross: $2.69M
Perhaps one of the most underrated performances and films I've had the pleasure of seeing. Ryan Goseling at his best playing a drug addicted/alcoholic teacher and basketball coach. Incredible performances and an amazing insight into addiction.
Drugs Used/Mentioned: Alcohol, Crack, Cocaine, Heroin?
42. The Wrestler (2008)
R | 109 min | Drama, Sport
A faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle.
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Margolis
Votes: 319,846 | Gross: $26.24M
Another Aronfsky flick about despair, addiction, and redemption. Mickey Rourke's role of a lifetime. Award winning indie feel.
Drugs Used: Opiate Pain Killers, Steroids, Alcohol.
43. The Fighter (I) (2010)
R | 116 min | Action, Biography, Drama
Based on the story of Micky Ward, a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older boxing brother and get his own shot at greatness.
Director: David O. Russell | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo
Votes: 388,724 | Gross: $93.62M
Christian Bale plays the real-life former boxer turned crackhead Dicky to a perfect tee. Based in Lowell, MA, this film delivers from the acting to the plot, beginning to end.
Drugs Used: Crack, Alcohol.
44. Drugs, Inc. (2010– )
TV-14 | 44 min | Documentary, Crime
Documentary style show that explores in depth how drugs in modern day society are sold, processed, and how police are cracking down on it.
Stars: Mike Secher, Alex Cameron Dimez, Derrick Hesselein, Huey Morgan
Votes: 1,454
The ULTIMATE Show about Drugs. This series goes all over the country to major cities showing you the inside story into the drug counterculture from the drug addicts themselves, to the dealers, to the cops trying to take them down.
Drugs Used/Mentioned: You Name it- They Talk about it and or show it
45. Frida (2002)
R | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work.
Director: Julie Taymor | Stars: Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush, Mía Maestro
Votes: 95,275 | Gross: $25.89M
Excellent Biopic about Mexican painter Frida Kahlo who suffered from longterm unbearable pain after a bus accident as a child.
Drugs used: Alcohol and Morphine/Pain Killers
46. Sideways (2004)
R | 127 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
Votes: 204,168 | Gross: $71.50M
Witty, intellectual, sad, yet hopeful. The best movie about wine you will ever watch. Award winning Paul Giamati becomes his character, Miles, with perfection. Addicted to Pinot Noir, Xanax, and Lexapro, Miles is a broke high English school teacher, who is just waiting for his big break for his book to get published. Still lamenting his divorce and awaiting the news about his book, he heads up to the Santa Barbara Wine country with his best friend, who is soon to be married. The mini vacation/bachelor party turns into a fiasco, to say the least. Miles meets his match, but things take a turn for the worse after his friend gets involved with a girl without mentioning he's about to be married.
Funny, poignant, and perfect movie for wine lovers.
Drugs used: WINE, beer, Vicodin, Xanax.
47. High Art (1998)
R | 101 min | Drama, Romance
A young female intern at a small magazine company and a drug-addicted lesbian photographer slowly fall in love while exploiting each other to advance their respective careers.
Director: Lisa Cholodenko | Stars: Radha Mitchell, Ally Sheedy, Patricia Clarkson, Gabriel Mann
Votes: 11,110 | Gross: $1.93M
Artsy indie pick about two photographers who find themselves together by fate living in the same apartment building. But their love of photography is superseded by the passion that burns between them and the heroin that flows up their noses.
Beautifully filmed.
Drugs used: Heroin, cocaine, alcohol.
48. Oz (1997–2003)
TV-MA | 55 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A series chronicling the daily activities of an unusual prison facility and its criminal inhabitants.
Stars: Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters
Votes: 106,605
The first show on TV to show the dark side of prison and the drugs that run through the system. Everything from heroin to pills to prison-made moonshine. Epic show/first of its kind.
49. Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Convicted of a decade-old crime of transporting drug money, ordinarily law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to 18 months behind bars and quickly discovers the realities of life-changing prison time.
Stars: Taylor Schilling, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning, Emma Myles
Votes: 320,013
A modern/female twist on Oz, dark with a comedic twist. Drugs flow through this female prison, including pills to heroin and moonshine.
50. Weeds (2005–2012)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
When a suburban mother turns to dealing marijuana in order to maintain her privileged lifestyle after her husband dies, she finds out just how addicted her entire neighborhood already is.
Stars: Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Kevin Nealon
Votes: 117,323
Mostly marijuana and booze featured in this show.
51. Californication (2007–2014)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A writer tries to juggle his career, his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend, as well as his appetite for beautiful women.
Stars: David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Evan Handler, Pamela Adlon
Votes: 188,353
52. Empire (2002)
R | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A successful South Bronx drug dealer turns his back on his roots and gives money to a Wall Street broker to invest for him.
Director: Franc. Reyes | Stars: John Leguizamo, Peter Sarsgaard, Denise Richards, Vincent Laresca
Votes: 7,894 | Gross: $17.50M
Drugs Used: Heroin/coke?
53. Final 24 (2006–2007)
TV-14 | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary series unlocking the hidden secrets, psychological flaws and events that result in the tragic deaths of global icons.
Stars: Danny Wallace, Dave McRae, Pamela Des Barres, Sandy Champion
Votes: 280
54. The Libertine (2004)
R | 114 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life's work.
Director: Laurence Dunmore | Stars: Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich, Paul Ritter
Votes: 37,763 | Gross: $4.84M
55. Ayahuasca: Vine of the Soul (2010)
Not Rated | 52 min | Documentary, Adventure
On a quest for spiritual awakening and healing, a naturopathic doctor and an accountant join others in the Amazon to drink a hallucinogenic brew called ayahuasca or 'Vine of the Soul'. ... See full summary »
Director: Richard Meech | Stars: Guillermo Arévalo, Gabor Maté, Dennis J. McKenna, Kenneth Tupper
Votes: 404
56. DMT: The Spirit Molecule (2010)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
An investigation into the long-obscured mystery of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a molecule found in nearly every living organism and considered the most potent psychedelic on Earth.
Director: Mitch Schultz | Stars: Joe Rogan, Ralph Abraham, Joel Bakst, Steven Barker
Votes: 4,852
58. Cocaine Unwrapped (2011)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, News
Moving from country to country in South America, reporting from across the drugs frontline and interviewing top-level international politicians this film exposes the human cost of one of ... See full summary »
Director: Rachel Seifert
Votes: 117
59.
Vanguard (2006– )
Episode:
The Oxycontin Express
(2009)
Documentary
In the season premiere of Vanguard, correspondent Mariana van Zeller travels to South Florida, the "Colombia of prescription drugs", to expose a bustling pill pipeline that stretches from ... See full summary »
Star: Mariana van Zeller
Votes: 40
60. Side Effects (I) (2013)
R | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Votes: 197,085 | Gross: $32.17M
61. Hooked: Illegal Drugs & How They Got That Way - Opium, Morphine, and Heroin (2000 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
An examination of the history of the poppy plant and three of its deadliest derivatives. In ancient times, the poppy was considered divine, but in the 19th and 20th centuries, its addicting... See full summary »
Director: Tom Yaroschuk | Stars: Patricia M. Tice, Clark Carr, William M. Fowler Jr., Jonathan Spence
Votes: 87
62. Oz (1997–2003)
TV-MA | 55 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A series chronicling the daily activities of an unusual prison facility and its criminal inhabitants.
Stars: Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters
Votes: 106,605
63. The Wire (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.
Stars: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce
Votes: 376,997
64. Bukowski: Born into This (2003)
R | 130 min | Documentary, Biography
Documentary on Charles Bukowski, author of 'Notes of a Dirty Old Man', 'Love Is a Dog from Hell', and the autobiographical novels, 'Women', 'Hollywood', and 'Post Office'.
Director: John Dullaghan | Stars: Charles Bukowski, Bono, John Bryan, Linda Lee Bukowski
Votes: 3,641 | Gross: $0.30M
65. I Melt with You (2011)
R | 129 min | Drama
When four 40-something college friends meet up for their annual reunion, things start to spiral out of control, and a pact they made as young men is revisited.
Director: Mark Pellington | Stars: Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe, Jeremy Piven, Christian McKay
Votes: 6,426 | Gross: $0.00M
66. Flight (I) (2012)
R | 138 min | Drama, Thriller
Troubling questions arise after airline pilot Whip Whitaker makes a miracle landing after a mid-air catastrophe.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Denzel Washington, Nadine Velazquez, Don Cheadle, John Goodman
Votes: 376,008 | Gross: $93.77M
67. Chelsea Walls (2001)
R | 109 min | Drama
This movie tells five stories set in a single day at the famed Chelsea Hotel in New York City, involving an ensemble cast of some 30-35 characters.
Director: Ethan Hawke | Stars: Paz de la Huerta, Vincent D'Onofrio, Bianca Hunter, Kevin Corrigan
Votes: 2,216 | Gross: $0.06M
68. Twelve (2010)
R | 93 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A young drug dealer watches as his high-rolling life is dismantled in the wake of his cousin's murder, which sees his best friend arrested for the crime.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Philip Ettinger
Votes: 12,655 | Gross: $0.18M
69. Georgia (1995)
R | 115 min | Drama, Music
Sadie is desperately looking up to her older sister Georgia who is a famous C&W artist. Her desperate need to be accepted by her sister is constantly complicated by her drug and alcohol problems.
Director: Ulu Grosbard | Stars: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mare Winningham, Ted Levine, Max Perlich
Votes: 3,336 | Gross: $1.11M
70. The Basketball Diaries (1995)
R | 102 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A teenager finds his dreams of becoming a basketball star threatened after he free falls into the harrowing world of drug addiction.
Director: Scott Kalvert | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, Marilyn Sokol, James Madio
Votes: 120,968 | Gross: $2.42M
71. Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)
Not Rated | 174 min | Drama
At the end of a long and hot summer day, members of one family gather in a large house. Everyone has something painful and offensive to say, and their silence is even worse.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards, Dean Stockwell
Votes: 5,919
72. Trainspotting (1996)
R | 93 min | Drama
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd
Votes: 725,281 | Gross: $16.50M
73. The Virgin Suicides (1999)
R | 97 min | Drama, Romance
A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s.
Director: Sofia Coppola | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, James Woods, Kathleen Turner
Votes: 169,082 | Gross: $4.86M
74. Eastbound & Down (2009–2013)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Many years after he turned his back on his hometown, a burned-out major league ballplayer returns to teach Physical Education at his old middle school.
Stars: Danny McBride, Steve Little, Katy Mixon Greer, Elizabeth De Razzo
Votes: 64,060
75. Halloween II (2009)
R | 105 min | Horror
Laurie Strode struggles to come to terms with her brother Michael's deadly return to Haddonfield, Illinois; meanwhile, Michael prepares for another reunion with his sister.
Director: Rob Zombie | Stars: Scout Taylor-Compton, Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon Zombie
Votes: 59,767 | Gross: $33.39M
76. The L Word (I) (2004–2009)
TV-MA | 50 min | Drama, Romance
Follows the lives and loves of a small, close-knit group of lesbian women living in Los Angeles as well as the friends and family members that either support or loathe them.
Stars: Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner
Votes: 28,733
77. Less Than Zero (1987)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama
A college freshman returns to L.A. for the holidays at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.
Director: Marek Kanievska | Stars: Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, Robert Downey Jr., James Spader
Votes: 22,110 | Gross: $12.40M
78. Permanent Midnight (1998)
R | 88 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A comedy writer struggles to overcome his addiction to heroin while putting his professional and personal life in danger.
Director: David Veloz | Stars: Ben Stiller, Maria Bello, Jay Paulson, Spencer Garrett
Votes: 7,926 | Gross: $1.17M
79. Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)
TV-14 | 45 min | Comedy, Drama
A high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.
Stars: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine
Votes: 153,168
80. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
R | 101 min | Comedy, Drama
A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.
Directors: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris | Stars: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Abigail Breslin
Votes: 517,787 | Gross: $59.89M
81. Oxyana (2013)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary, News
The 'Hillbilly Heroin' epidemic that's slowly rotting the soul of rural America.
Director: Sean Dunne
Votes: 658
82. Neurons to Nirvana (2013)
85 min | Documentary, History, News
A stylish, in depth look at the renaissance in psychedelic drug research in light of current scientific, medical and cultural knowledge.
Director: Oliver Hockenhull | Stars: Lesley Ewen, Dennis J. McKenna, David Healy, David E. Nichols
Votes: 1,310
83. Narc (2002)
R | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When the trail goes cold on a murder investigation of a policeman, an undercover narcotics officer is lured back to the force to help solve the case.
Director: Joe Carnahan | Stars: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride, Dan Leis
Votes: 43,071 | Gross: $10.46M
84. Garden State (2004)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A quietly troubled young man returns home for his mother's funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade.
Director: Zach Braff | Stars: Zach Braff, Peter Sarsgaard, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm
Votes: 223,152 | Gross: $26.78M
85. House of Sand and Fog (2003)
R | 126 min | Crime, Drama
An abandoned wife is evicted from her house and starts a tragic conflict with her house's new owners.
Director: Vadim Perelman | Stars: Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard, Frances Fisher
Votes: 72,576 | Gross: $13.01M
86. Limitless (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 105 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller
A mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.
Director: Neil Burger | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro
Votes: 612,065 | Gross: $79.25M
87. Crazy/Beautiful (2001)
PG-13 | 99 min | Drama, Romance
At Pacific Palisades High, a poor Latino falls hard for a troubled girl from an affluent neighborhood.
Director: John Stockwell | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Bruce Davison, Herman Osorio
Votes: 25,559 | Gross: $16.93M
88. Love & Other Drugs (2010)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1990s Pittsburgh, a medicine peddler starts a relationship with a young woman suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Judy Greer, Oliver Platt
Votes: 223,993 | Gross: $32.37M
89. Go (1999)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Crime
The aftermath of a drug deal as told from three different points of view.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Sarah Polley, Jay Mohr, Scott Wolf, Taye Diggs
Votes: 75,126 | Gross: $16.84M
90. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
R | 180 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey
Votes: 1,581,666 | Gross: $116.90M
91. The Doors (1991)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley
Votes: 99,018 | Gross: $35.18M
92. Sid and Nancy (1986)
R | 112 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.
Director: Alex Cox | Stars: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, David Hayman, Debby Bishop
Votes: 34,662 | Gross: $2.83M
93. Savages (I) (2012)
R | 131 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro
Votes: 134,484 | Gross: $47.38M
94. Middle Men (2009)
R | 105 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Chronicles Jack Harris, one of the pioneers of Internet commerce, as he wrestles with his morals and struggles not to drown in a sea of con men, mobsters, drug addicts, and porn stars.
Director: George Gallo | Stars: Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht, James Caan
Votes: 38,366 | Gross: $0.72M
95. Shrink (2009)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama
Unable to cope with a recent personal tragedy, LA's top celebrity shrink turns into a pothead with no concern for his appearance and a creeping sense of his inability to help his patients.
Director: Jonas Pate | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Mark Webber, Keke Palmer, Joe Nunez
Votes: 19,240 | Gross: $0.19M
96. Sober House (2009– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Reality-TV
Former celebrity rehab patients live together in a sober house to help transition themselves back into a world full of temptation and relapse with sometimes volcanic eruptions between them and the councilors.
Stars: Drew Pinsky, Jennifer Gimenez, Seth 'Shifty Shellshock' Binzer, William Smith
Votes: 233
97. London (I) (2005)
R | 92 min | Drama, Romance
At a drug laden party in a New York loft, a young man tries to win back his ex-girlfriend.
Director: Hunter Richards | Stars: Jessica Biel, Chris Evans, Jason Statham, Joy Bryant
Votes: 24,750 | Gross: $0.01M
98. Scarface (1983)
R | 170 min | Crime, Drama
In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Votes: 915,784 | Gross: $45.60M
99. My Name Is Bill W. (1989 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama
The story of Bill Wilson and the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Director: Daniel Petrie | Stars: James Woods, JoBeth Williams, James Garner, Gary Sinise
Votes: 1,330
100. Gridlock'd (1997)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two friends try to kick their drug addiction after a friend dies from an overdose, when they try to enroll in a detox program, things quickly go wrong.
Director: Vondie Curtis-Hall | Stars: Tupac Shakur, Tim Roth, Thandiwe Newton, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 16,586 | Gross: $5.48M
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