Heroin(e) (2017)
Documentary · Crime
Stream itif you want an intimate, unsentimental look at the human cost of the opioid crisis.
A concise and sobering look at the front lines of a national crisis, focusing on the exhausting resilience of those trying to make a difference. It is an intimate, grounded portrait that provides a human face to staggering statistics.
What Heroin(e) is like, and who it is for
What it is like to watch
Watching this is a brisk but heavy experience. The film maintains an urgent, observational pace that mirrors the non-stop nature of the crisis it depicts. It is grounded and raw, avoiding sensationalism in favour of showing the repetitive, wearying cycle of emergency calls and court hearings. The tone is deeply empathetic yet unflinching, capturing the physical and emotional exhaustion of the women on the front lines without resorting to manipulative melodrama.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
This is essential viewing for those who prefer social documentaries that focus on individual agency rather than just broad statistics. It suits viewers who appreciate fly-on-the-wall filmmaking that respects its subjects' dignity. However, it should be skipped by those sensitive to depictions of drug use and overdose, as the footage is frequently distressing and frank. One honest caveat is that its short runtime prevents a deep dive into the systemic pharmaceutical causes of the epidemic.
The right evening for it
It suits a quiet, reflective evening when you have forty minutes to spare for something genuinely impactful. It is a sobering choice that sparks difficult but necessary conversation about community and recovery.
Written by our AI from the facts on this page. It has opinions; it has not watched it.
If you like this, try
Oxyana (2013)
the same bleak but necessary focus on a West Virginian town devastated by pills
Warning: This Drug May Kill You (2017)
a similarly stark exploration of how addiction destroys ordinary families
Suggested by our AI for what they share with this one. Linked titles have a page here; the rest are worth a search on the browse page.
What it is about
This documentary follows three women — a fire chief, a judge, and a street missionary — as they battle West Virginia's devastating opioid epidemic.
Trailer
Stills
Images from TMDB.
Questions people ask
- Is Heroin(e) a authentic documentary?
- Yes. On Watchlist Boosted it is tagged Authentic. A concise and sobering look at the front lines of a national crisis, focusing on the exhausting resilience of those trying to make a difference. It is an intimate, grounded portrait that provides a human face to staggering statistics.
- How long is Heroin(e)?
- Heroin(e) runs 39 min and was released in 2017.
- Is Heroin(e) worth watching?
- Stream it: if you want an intimate, unsentimental look at the human cost of the opioid crisis. TMDB users rate it 6.9 out of 10 from 131 votes.
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