A Documentary That Shows the Real Struggles of Addiction

Read Time:2 Minute, 22 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Our American Family
–

Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 27m
Director(s): Hallee Adelman, Sean King O'Grady
Where To Watch: released in the US Theatrically in New York (Cinema Village), Los Angeles (Laemmle Monica) on September 2, and on VOD in the US and Canada on major platforms on September 6.

Please visit www.samhsa.gov/recovery-month for more information on what you can do to help those you care about or yourself.

An examination of addiction at the surface level. The real-life fallout from one of this country's most troubling battles. Too often, addiction is treated as something that can just be pushed away when one wants. This film examines a family and the struggles that addiction can have, yet at the same time, it also shows just how powerful a family unit can be.

I’ve known people who have struggled with addiction, and it’s seldom a fun experience. There is often a rollercoaster of emotional battles between the person you thought you knew and the person that they become when they lose control. Sometimes you want to give up; you feel like there is no way that the person that you’re trying to save is still in there.

I was shocked at how raw this documentary was; I’ve seen other documentaries about addiction, and more often than not, they feel more like a fictional film than an honest look into what it’s like. In the last several years, both FOUR GOOD DAYS (Mila Kunis and Glenn Close) and BEAUTIFUL BOY (Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carrell) tackled the subject in similar yet very different ways. While I appreciated both films, neither came close to replicating the real-life experience.

I will warn you that this could be a trigger if you’ve experienced something similar in your life. While that’s not against the film, it’s just the fact of seeing these situations.

September is National Recovery Month; a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible.

Please visit www.samhsa.gov/recovery-month for more information on what you can do to help those you care about or yourself.

For more reviews and my YouTube channel, please visit linktr.ee/Overlyhonestmoviereviews

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Find my social media accounts on most platforms simply by searching Overly Honest Movie Reviews.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please say hi or send me any questions about all things movies.