"The Crime of the Century"
Dopesick is a limited series about the opioid crisis—how Purdue Pharma created OxyContin, how they marketed it with false claims about addiction, and how hundreds of thousands of Americans died. It's a story about corporate crime, regulatory failure, and the patients and prosecutors who tried to stop it.
Michael Keaton plays Dr. Samuel Finnix, a small-town Virginia doctor who trusted Purdue's claims and prescribed OxyContin to his patients. He watched them become addicted. He became addicted himself. Keaton's performance is the show's emotional center—a good man whose trust was weaponized against his community.
The series follows multiple timelines and perspectives: the DEA investigators trying to track the pills, the US attorneys building a case against Purdue, the Purdue sales reps being trained to lie, and the Sackler family counting their money while denying responsibility. Rosario Dawson, Peter Sarsgaard, and Will Poulter play the prosecutors and investigators. Michael Stuhlbarg plays Richard Sackler, the family member who pushed OxyContin into existence.
This is anger-making television in the best sense. The show shows you exactly how the crisis happened: Purdue marketed OxyContin as non-addictive. They targeted rural doctors. They created coupons for first prescriptions. They tracked prescriptions and rewarded high prescribers. When the FDA tried to investigate, Purdue used political connections to slow them down. When prosecutors built cases, Purdue settled without admitting guilt.
The structure jumps between the 1990s, when OxyContin launched, and the 2000s, when the consequences became undeniable. It's complex but never confusing. Danny Strong adapted Beth Macy's nonfiction book into a screenplay that makes complicated legal and medical history feel immediate and personal.
Characters & Acting (9): Michael Keaton is devastating. The ensemble—Rosario Dawson, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever—matches his intensity. Michael Stuhlbarg makes Richard Sackler quietly terrifying.
Conceptual Density (9): Corporate crime, regulatory capture, medical ethics, addiction science—the show explains complex systems clearly without dumbing down.
Resolution (7): The real crisis isn't over. The series ends with a settlement that feels incomplete—because the real settlement felt incomplete.
"First Bottle" (S1E1) — The launch. Dr. Finnix's trust. The beginning of a crisis.
"Black Box Warning" (S1E6) — The regulators vs. Purdue. Political pressure. Justice delayed.
"The People vs. Purdue Pharma" (S1E8) — The finale. Settlement. Accountability partial at best.
US: Hulu
UK: Disney+