Philip Mancini Jr.

I haven’t unraveled the mystery on how A list talent can make movies this bad.

Knock off an acclaimed mini-series, only this time, make the acting, directing, story, and character development far worse. You’d then have Painkiller! As much as I wanted to like the mini-series and receive a different take on the opioid epidemic, I was left with a stuttering start-and-stop routine since I could barely make it through 20 minutes of inept storytelling, contrived and unsympathetic characters or blatantly gratuitous gore that did nothing to move the story along. The worst of the contrivances was the character of Edie Flowers. Story note: Don’t make the main character and narrator completely unlikeable. I’m not sure what her redeeming character trait is other than she’s completely made up. She’s the quintessential lone hero who can do everything: investigate, research, and condescend to everyone around her. The one bright spot is the recovering addict storyline with Taylor Kitsch. A Berg regular, he brings a solid performance despite a weak surrounding cast and lack of real substance. The entire series is a waste of time. If you want to be educated and entertained, see Dopesick instead.