Painkiller, starring Matthew Broderick and Uzo Aduba, has just dropped on Netflix, with viewers being told the true story of the opioid crisis in the United States
Netflix has had fans gripped with its latest real-life drama Painkiller, which tells the true story of America’s opioid crisis.
The show – which stars Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch and Uzo Aduba – has been hailed by fans for its “real” and “insane” portrayal of the crisis. Painkiller explores the origins and aftermath of the opioid epidemic and focuses on those whose lives have been forever changed by the invention of OxyContin.
The series looks at the actions of Purdue Pharma, which created OxyContin. The opioid crisis in the US has been tied to the extensive marketing of OxyContin, which was followed by a huge increase in it being prescribed. This led to mass levels of addiction.
Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy in 2019 after being faced with 2,600 federal and state lawsuits for its role in the opioid epidemic. One man involved in the lawsuits was lawyer Jeffrey B. Simon.