Hulu’s upcoming drama, Dopesick, is tackling the topic of America’s opioid epidemic. Michael Keaton stars as well as Rosario Dawson, Will Poulter, Peter Sarsgaard, and Kaitlyn Dever.
The show’s trailer premiered recently. “The cure to America’s pain is a new drug called Oxycontin”, as stated by the pharmaceutical salespeople in the show. The characters are instructed to do “whatever it takes” to earn the “trust” of medical professionals so they will begin prescribing the drug.
Billy – the character played by Will Poulter, brings a bucket of KFC to visit Doctor Samuel Finnix, plated by Keaton. When they sit down together, Billy delivers his best pitch saying that “less than one percent of people get addicted to Oxycontin”. Samuel comes back with – “that’s not possible”, but is then seen prescribing it to his patient, calling it a miracle drug. He instructs her to only take 2 per day.
Later Dr. Samuel has a conversation again with Billy saying, “I think maybe that medicine may be a tad more addictive than you said”. However, Billy replies, “that’s not what we’re hearing”.
The side effects of the drug soon become an issue to be investigated by authorities. At one point Rosario Dawson (playing a DEA agent), says “there might be a unique situation brewing here”.
The mini-series has 8 episodes and is based on the 2018 book by Beth Macy, Dopesick – Doctor’s, Dealers, and the Drug Company that addicted America.
