Directed by David Yates, the 2023 American crime drama Pain Hustlers is set for a fall release before streaming on Netflix.
Chris Evans plays yet another shady character since putting down the mantle of Captain America, accompanied by Emily Blunt.
This film is Yates’ first non-Harry Potter directorial since the 2016 flick The Legend of Tarzan. The BAFTA-winning Yates directed the final four films in the Harry Potter series and three of the Fantastic Beasts films from 2007 to 2022.
Pain Hustlers delves into the world of a struggling pharmaceutical start-up and a mother’s involvement in its dubious operations. Read on if you want to know more about Pain Hustlers before deciding to watch it.
What is Pain Hustlers about?
Pain Hustlers follows the story of Liza Drake (Blunt), a single mother who falls into financial hardship after losing her job. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets pharmaceutical sales representative Pete Brenner (Evans). Liza’s newfound economic stability comes at a moral cost as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme.
Her journey is further complicated by her increasingly unstable boss (Andy Garcia), her daughter’s deteriorating health (played by Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the harm caused by the pharmaceutical company’s actions.
The story of people taking advantage of the opioid crisis in America, driven by greed and desperation, may sound very similar to those who have already watched Hulu’s Dopesick or Netflix’s Painkiller. The perspective might be different, but whether or not Yates does justice to a story fresh in the audience’s minds needs to be seen.
Yates expressed his interest in exploring the less glamorous side of the pharmaceutical industry, “I was intrigued by the pharma world, particularly the low-rent end of it, the workaday reps and sales teams striving to make a living in a hugely competitive business of dealing with people’s pain,” Yates told Netflix. “I loved the characters [screenwriter Wells Tower] was creating on the page, and his writing.”
Who is in the cast of Pain Hustlers?
Pain Hustlers features an ensemble cast, including Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James, and Chloe Coleman.
David Yates commended Blunt’s dedication to her role, “Emily was probably the most prepared actor I’ve ever worked with. She comes to set with a game plan every single day and knows exactly what she wants to explore in the architecture of the human being that she’s playing.”
Speaking of Evans, Yates said, “Casting Chris Evans for that was a delight because his clean-cut, alpha male, heroic demeanour is completely turned on its head when you cast him as a sleazebag pharma sales rep.” He continued, “I’d seen him do a couple of things that really surprised me previously. I love seeing an actor do something surprising.”
When is Pain Hustlers releasing?
Pain Hustlers had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11th, 2023. The film will open in select theatres on October 20th, offering an opportunity for audiences to experience it on the big screen. For those who prefer streaming, Pain Hustlers will be available on Netflix from October 27th.
