'Pain Hustlers' Film Tackles US Opioid Crisis: Director David Yates Talks Transition from Harry Potter to Social Drama

Filmmaker David Yates shifts focus to real-world social issues with "Pain Hustlers," a drama exploring the U.S opioid crisis through the lens of pharmaceutical sales reps; well-received performances by Emily Blunt and Chris Evans distill a large crisis into a gripping personal narrative.

David Yates, known for his directorial role in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, has crafted a real-world social drama, 'Pain Hustlers', exploring the U.S opioid crisis through the lens of pharmaceutical sales reps played by Emily Blunt and Chris Evans.
The film is based on a 2018 New York Times Magazine article expanded into a book, which portrayed the American healthcare system and pharmaceutical industry as being far removed from anything Yates knew in the UK.
'Pain Hustlers' combines strong performances by its cast with a thought-provoking narrative, avoiding the complexity of large-scale visual effects which characterized Yates’ previous projects.
The film's narrative is built around the grassroots level of the opioid crisis, focusing on pharmaceutical reps rather than attempting to encapsulate the entirety of Big Pharma or the broader healthcare system.
Emily Blunt's character, Liza Drake, is portrayed as an everywoman. A single mother, desperate and ambitious, she finds herself navigating the murky world of pharmaceutical sales, thus portraying a deeply personal and relatable perspective on the opioid crisis.