Synopsis
Pain Hustlers is a sharp, darkly comic drama that follows Liza Drake (Emily Blunt), a struggling single mother who takes a job at a failing pharmaceutical startup. With charisma and ambition, she helps the company skyrocket into success, only to find herself caught in a dangerous web of greed, corruption, and moral compromise as the opioid crisis deepens. Directed by David Yates, the film explores the human cost of corporate exploitation in America’s pharmaceutical industry.
Reviews
“It’s predictable but glossily watchable. The main redeeming feature is the crackling charisma of Emily Blunt, in the central role of a down-on-her-luck single mum turned pharma marketing genius.”
The Guardian
“Blunt plays Liza Drake, a tenacious single mother who joins a struggling drug company to sell an allegedly superior cancer-pain medication. Evans oozes the same sleaze he brought to Knives Out, proving that he’s more fun as a dirt-bag than a superhero.”
Entertainment Weekly
“Blunt is really the only reason to watch Pain Hustlers. She gives a game performance … Blunt understands that throughline, pulling it out but never explicitly showing that undercurrent.”
RogerEbert.com