It’s not easy to convey the subject matter to the screen. Addiction hijacks and reshapes the brain, causing otherwise good individuals to act strangely. It’s difficult to make something so internal cinematic or to connect and sympathize with audiences. We’ve chosen films that go above and above in their portrayal of a challenging subject.
We’ve included photos about other addictions, such as workaholism, gambling, and sex addiction, in addition to several films regarding substance and alcohol abuse. Some of these films focus on the rehabilitation process, while others do not. An accurate, compassionate depiction of a difficult, sometimes misunderstood condition that impacts millions of families is the most important need for a spot on our list.
1. Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
Director- Blake Edwards
Joe Clay is a professional in the field of public relations. Joe can arrange anything a client desires, from dancing girls to a feature in a major publication. However, part of the work entails drinking, and Joe appears to have an endless supply of booze. When he meets Kirsten Arnesen, he discovers that she prefers chocolate over booze; Joe’s solution is the Brandy Alexander, a blend of brandy and crème de cacao. Joe and Kirsten eventually marry, but their love is powerless to stop the alcoholic’s downward spiral. They try everything they can to stop the habit, but they keep relapsing until only one of them succeeds.
2. The Lost Weekend (1945)
Director- Bily Wilder
Don Birnam is a boozehound. Wick and Helen, his brother and girlfriend, both know he’s on the waggon, a belief he tries not to break. They organise trips and other activities to keep him sober and healthy. Don and Wick are going to the country this weekend for one of them. Don, on the other hand, manages to postpone the trip and then avoid it entirely in order to get drunk in a pub. He doesn’t have any money, so he has to get his drink through more bizarre and unscrupulous means.
He does have two advantages: Helen adores him and will go to any length to help him overcome his addiction. The other is that he has a terrific literary aptitude and a lot of ambition in that area. His productivity as a writer, however, is hampered by his drinking, leading to a cycle of sorrow and addiction. His thoughts darken as he realises his own predicament.
3. Notorious (1946)
Director- Alfred Hitchcock
Alicia Huberman is a sassy young lady who enjoys alcohol and men; her father was a German spy in the United States who committed suicide while incarcerated. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, government agent Devlin begs the girl to spy on a gathering of her father’s Nazi pals. This could be her opportunity to clear her name. The girl falls in love with the agent, but he doesn’t seem to be interested in her lifestyle. Alicia accepts the assignment and joins Devlin in Brazil.
Alicia informs the US Agents that Sebastian has proposed to her and asks if she should accept his proposal. They agree after a brief conversation, and she follows suit. Alicia steals the key to the wine cellar at a party and delivers it to Devlin. They locate some uranium dust in Sebastian’s canteen, but he has now realised Alicia is a spy and is poisoning her on a daily basis.
4. Gia (TV movie 1998)
Director- Michael Cristofer
Gia Carangi is a stunning drop-out from Philadelphia who bursts through the closed doors of top modelling agent Wilhelmina Cooper when she first arrives in New York City. Gia’s magnetic charm and powerful libido quickly land her on the covers of America’s best-selling magazines. But being loved by the whole world isn’t the same as being loved by just one person – an unfulfilled desire that might lead Gia into perilous situations. And for a stunning woman, one blunder could spell an abrupt and horrific demise.
5. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Director- Darren Aronofsky
Sara Goldfarb is a widow who lives alone in a small apartment. She spends the majority of her time in front of the television, particularly a self-help show. She fantasises about being a guest on that show and soaring above her mundane existence. Harry, her son, is a junkie who, along with his pal Tyrone, dreams of making it big as a drug dealer. Marion, Harry’s girlfriend, may be a fashion designer or an artist, but she is swept up in Harry’s drug-obsessed lifestyle. Sara, on the other hand, has acquired her own addiction. She is desperate to lose weight, so she embarks on a crash diet that involves popping medications, medicines that prove to be highly addictive and detrimental to her mental health.
6. Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Director- Jonathan Demme
Kym is given a few days off from rehab so she can attend her sister Rachel’s wedding. For a recovered addict, returning home is always difficult, but it’s even more difficult when the stay is limited for a few days. Despite their true respect for one another, the sisters’ relationship is tense. Rachel thinks her father is overly fond of Kym, and Kym is disappointed to find that Rachel has chosen a friend to be her maid of honour. Their father cares deeply for Kym’s well-being, but he fails to recognise the strain the connection is inflicting. Both women must to deal with their selfish mother, who plainly prioritises her own happiness over that of her children. A tragedy that occurred many years ago and for which Kym is blamed by some is at the heart of the family’s dynamic.
7. Shame (2011)
Director- Steve McQueen
Thirty-something Brandon Sullivan is a yuppie from New York. He’s also a sex addict who fantasises about sex when he’s not experiencing it. He surfs for porn on his work computer, masturbates frequently even in his office’s men’s room, and looks at unusual ladies in any circumstance in the hopes of having anonymous sex with them. Unlike his married boss, David Fisher, who is upfront about his marital infidelities to his male coworkers, he hides his sex addiction from the few individuals in his life that he lets in emotionally. Brandon, on the other hand, has no emotional attachment to the act of sex.
Brandon’s life is changed by his sister Sissy Sullivan’s return to his life and apartment, from whom he had been estranged owing to the emotional baggage attached, especially in terms of what he can do in what used to be the seclusion and sanctity of his apartment. Unlike Brandon, Sissy considers sex and emotional attachment to be one and the same. Following Sissy’s arrival, Brandon’s life begins to spiral out of control. Following an incident involving Sissy, he acquires a greater perspective of his existence, although an unhappy one.
8. A Star Is Born (2018)
Director- Bradley Cooper
Jackson Maine, a well-known country music musician who is battling an alcohol and drug addiction privately, performs in California. Bobby, his manager and older half-brother, is his main source of support. After the show, Jackson goes to a drag bar and sees Ally, a waitress and singer-songwriter, perform. Jackson is blown away by her performance, and the two spend the night talking, during which Ally tells him about her struggles in pursuing a professional music career. Ally is invited to Jackson’s next performance. Despite her initial reluctance, she attends and sings on stage with Jackson, thanks to Jackson’s insistence. Jackson encourages Ally to join him on tour, and the two develop a romantic relationship.
Ally and Jackson travel to Arizona to see the ranch where Jackson grew up and where his father is buried, only to learn that Bobby had sold the property. Jackson slaps Bobby, who then quits as his manager, enraged by his betrayal. Before doing so, Bobby explains that he told Jackson about the sale but that he was too drunk to notice.
9. Uncut Gems (2019)
Director- Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie
Howard Ratner, a gemstone dealer and gambling addict in New York City’s turbulent and corrupt diamond business, owes money to practically everyone, including his brother-in-law Arno. Howard, a serial adulterer, incorrigible gambler, and all-around scam artist, believes he’ll finally be able to get out of his bind when he gets his hands on a chunk of rare Ethiopian black opal, which will let him to pay off his mounting debts. Kevin Garnett, a star player for the Boston Celtics, has already taken a shine to the valuable uncut stone. Is Ratner able to balance his family, a pair of thuggish collectors, his business, and his master plan before things spiral out of control?
10. Phantom Thread (2017)
Director- Paul Thomas Anderson
The year is 1950. Reynolds Woodcock, a confirmed bachelor, is a well-known London couturier who dresses the affluent and famous. On the design side of his firm, he is a one-man show. His brilliance can only be realised in an environment that he has complete control over. On the business side, Reynolds’ spinster sister, Cyril Woodcock, keeps the house in order so that he can work in his controlled atmosphere. She will not, however, allow anything or anyone to upset the apple cart, including Reynolds losing sight of the fact that this is a business, not just a way for him to develop and produce clothes for his own pleasure without consideration for the customers.
When Reynolds meets waitress Alma Elson, the equilibrium in their work/life relationship could be thrown off. She becomes not only his muse, but also his helper and lover. The introduction of Alma into Reynolds’ life, and thus the business, alters the dynamic between Reynolds and Cyril, particularly because Alma has her own sense of self in Reynolds’ life and business, which is frequently at odds with the control that Reynolds and Cyril have worked so hard to establish and maintain.
11. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
Director- P.J. Hogan
After a drunken letter-mailing mix-up, Rebecca Bloomwood, who is struggling with her terrible shopping addiction and the unexpected collapse of her money source, unintentionally finds a position writing for a financial magazine. Rebecca’s inventive comparisons and unconventional metaphors for economics earn her critical praise, public success, and the adoration of her supportive boss Luke Brandon, despite the fact that she has disobeyed consumer prudence. However, as she approaches her ultimate goal of writing for the prestigious fashion magazine Alette, she begins to doubt her genuine objectives and must decide whether curing her “shopaholic” condition will offer her true happiness.
