Netflix's 'Painkiller' Highlights the Human Toll of the Opioid Crisis Fueled by Greed
- Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family aggressively marketed the painkiller OxyContin despite knowing its high risk for addiction.
- The series follows both real and fictional characters affected by opioid addiction after being prescribed OxyContin.
- While dramatized, Painkiller aims to truthfully portray the origins of the opioid epidemic and the role of Purdue Pharma.
- Peter Berg executive produced Painkiller due to his personal experience with people who died from opioid addiction.
- The emotional introductions given by families impacted by the crisis add a powerful human dimension.