David Yates returns to the director’s chair in a new crime drama investigating the terrible things people do when they are desperate, or when they simply do not care about the consequences. The famous English director made a name for himself with the latter half of the Harry Potter film saga. He directed some of the most memorable movies in that series, including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. The overall tone of these latter films darkened dramatically and was received with excitement by the audience. The iconic director’s latest offering looks like quite an interesting watch, bringing in iconic actors such as Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place) and Chris Evans (Knives Out). Pain Hustlers is based on the 2022 book by Evan Hughes, The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup.
Hughes used his experience as a journalist to investigate the tumultuous history of Insys Therapeutics, the company that became the focus of the movie. The pharma company had its leadership convicted on a charge of racketeering and conspiracy after it was revealed that they bribed doctors to overprescribe one of their opioid medications. They also persuaded doctors to send patients to an Insys contractor to seek insurance authorizations that would make access to the medication cheaper for the consumer. These nefarious acts generated huge income for the company at the expense of the health and safety of the consumers of the medication. Read on to find out exactly who’s starring in Pain Hustlers, as well as the roles they play in this crime drama movie.
Emily Blunt as Liza Drake
Liza Drake needs a break. After dropping out of high school, she needs an opportunity to make her way in the world. Life in Central Florida challenges her and there are few desirable prospects for her. She lives with her mother and daughter in her sister’s basement. After a conflict with her sister, she finds herself evicted and desperate for any chance of success. When she has a chance to meet with a pharmaceutical sales representative, her shot at success arrives. After she finds herself working for this shady company, she slowly uncovers the conspiracy to hide the problems of the drug that she and her company promote. Beyond her own job insecurity, Liza Drake also struggles to keep up with the cost of her daughter’s medical needs. As her daughter’s condition continues to require expensive treatment, her boss becomes increasingly erratic in behavior. Liza needs to decide if she can stomach participating in this criminal activity to help her daughter.
Emily Blunt portrays the character of Liza Drake. Blunt has starred in several films in the last decade, with iconic roles in the films A Quiet Place, Oppenheimer, The Devil Wears Prada, and Jungle Cruise. The British actor has won both a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor.
Chris Evans as Pete Brenner
Pete Brenner works as a pharmaceutical sales representative for a floundering company that sells Fentanyl. One of the core aspects of his role for the company is the promotion of the drug as a safe product that will not cause addiction. This activity eventually burns the company, as it is revealed that they knew that this marketing tactic is false and illegal.
Chris Evans steps back into the spotlight with his portrayal of Pete Brenner. This new role continues his shift away from his success in the superhero genre as Captain America. After departing that role successfully with his character Ransom Drysdale in the blockbuster film Knives Out (2019), Evans has continued to find success exploring new characters in different genres.
Catherine O’Hara as Jackie Drake
Jackie Drake lives in a difficult situation. As an aging woman without financial security, she is forced to room with her daughter and granddaughter in the basement of her child’s home. The close relationship that results causes her to work alongside her daughter Liza to support her granddaughter Pheobe with her medical difficulties.
Taking the role of Jackie Drake is iconic actor Catherine O’Hara. O’Hara has a longstanding career in media, which began on the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV (1976). After years on television, she earned a role as Delia in the movie Beetlejuice (1988), as well as Kate in Home Alone (1990). Her role in Beetlejuice began her collaboration with director Tim Burton, which continued in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Frankenweenie (2012). Her most recent successes include the hit television series Schitt’s Creek (2015), in which she played Moira Rose.
Chloe Coleman as Phoebe Drake
Phoebe Drake suffers from a lethal medical condition that causes her to suffer seizures. On top of that, she lives in her aunt’s basement with her mother and grandmother. The stress and conflict resulting from her expensive medical needs drive her to rebel against her mother, especially after they are evicted from their residence.
Chloe Coleman continues her busy few years on the screen with this role as Phoebe Drake. Coleman has seen success in her work recently with great heights like Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Pain Hustlers looks to be another opportunity for the incredible young star to show her talent on screen.
Andy Garcia as Jack Neel
The world of pharmaceuticals hosts countless small independent companies that succeed through the sale of one or two products. This is the world of Jack Neel, whose unsuccessful company sells the opioid Fentanyl. His business in central Florida is struggling, and Neel must find a way to change the equation in his favor. When two young pharmaceutical sales reps join his team he finds an unsettling means to achieve his lofty goals of success.
One of the stars of the iconic Oceans 11 heist movies series, Andy Garcia brings an impressive pedigree to the cast of Pain Hustlers. With nearly fifty years of experience in movies, Garcia looks to bring interest to the role of a hedonistic pharmaceutical executive.
Jay Duplass as Brent Larkin
In the sales community, conflicts often arise between competitors. For Pete Brenner, this conflict builds into an all-out rivalry between him and Brent Larkin. Larkin is portrayed by Jay Duplass, known for his role as Bill Dobson in the TV series The Chair. Duplass is also known for his work behind the camera, having co-created the acclaimed HBO series Room 104 with his brother, Mark Duplass. Jay Duplass is also set to appear as the Greek god Hades in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is premiering in December 2023.
Brian d’Arcy James as Dr. Nathan Lydell
When Jack Neel searches for opportunities to grow his business, he must find doctors to prescribe his drug. Enter Dr. Nathan Lydell, who quickly engulfs himself in the business of promoting and overprescribing the dangerous medication. Played by Brian d’Arcy James (Spotlight), this doctor brings in the final piece of the puzzle to the racket. The shady doctor reveals his moral turpitude with his fast acceptance of this questionable program.
Apart from these actors, Pain Hustlers also stars Aubrey Dollar, Amit Shah, and Willie Raysor, among others. The movie will be arriving in select theaters on October 20, 2023, followed by a wide release on Netflix on October 27.
