Body Brokers (2021)
3.3 of 5 from 48 ratings
1h 53min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Utah (Jack Kilmer) and Opal (Alice Englert) are junkies living on the streets of rural Ohio until a seemingly chance encounter with the enigmatic Wood (Michael Kenneth Williams) brings them to Los Angeles for treatment. While Utah finds sobriety with the help of the treatment center shrink (Melissa Leo), he soon learns that rehab is not about helping people - it's merely a cover scheme for a multi-billion dollar fraud operation, enlisting addicts to recruit other addicts. Seduced by the money, but troubled by the hypocrisy, Utah must decide between what will make him rich, and what will save Opal.
- Actors:
- Suzanne Wind, Frank Grillo, Alice Englert, Samone James, Jack Kilmer, Michael Kenneth Williams, Mark Ward, Jessica Rothe, Melissa Leo, Sam Quartin, Owen Campbell, Steve Bruner, Renée Willett, Caroline McKenzie, Thomas Dekker, Pam Dougherty, James Whitecloud, Peter Greene, Doug Van Liew, Ben Hall
- Directors:
- John Swab
- Producers:
- Robert Ogden Barnum, Oliver Ridge, Jeremy M. Rosen, John Swab
- Writers:
- John Swab
- Genres:
- Drama, Thrillers
Reviews (1) of Body Brokers
The Best US Movie About Drug Addiction and the Therapy/Recovery Business - 5 stars - Body Brokers review by PV
I had no expectations of this movie and the title is not a great one, to be honest. However, I was transfixed by this tale of drug addiction, crack/heroin, and more especially the hugely profitable therapy industry racket.
That industry has literally made billions from taxpayer-funded recovery schemes - in the USA but the UK is the same. As the movie points out, the 12-step AA and NA programs are FREE. And work a lot. Whereas expensive drug therapy has a 90% failure rate.
I really appreciated the voiceovers and graphics showing the numbers and stated - narrated by 'body broker' Wood played by the great Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar from The Wire) in his last film (to be released before he ironically died of a drugs overdose age 54).
The main actor Jack Kilmer is superb and a future star and Oscar winner, I am sure.
The best film on drug addiction is probably OSLO 31st August from Norway, but Body Brokers focuses on the recovery/therapy industry and its profits far more.
US TV series such as The Wire, Breaking Bad etc are excellent portrayals of drug addiction in the USA which, this movie tells us, has cost 900,000 lives there in the last 20 years. More than the American dead of all 20th and 21st century wars put together.
5 stars. Just brilliant, WATCH IT!
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