Top Movies About Addiction - Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, and More

Although these movies are not necessarily about the meaning of life, addiction can adversely affect both meaning and life itself. Many would argue that it can sap the meaning right out of life. Therefore, we wanted to compile a list of the best movies about addition. Comment below and let us know what movies we missed, what addictions we missed.

Drugs

Requiem for a Dream (2000), directed by Darren Aronofsky, is a psychological drama that explores the devastating impact of addiction on four individuals.

The film follows:

• Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto), a heroin addict dreaming of making a better life with his girlfriend.

• Marion Silver (Jennifer Connelly), Harry’s girlfriend, who aspires to be a fashion designer.

• Tyrone C. Love (Marlon Wayans), Harry’s best friend and fellow addict.

• Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), Harry’s mother, who becomes addicted to amphetamines in an effort to lose weight and fulfill her fantasy of appearing on a TV show.

As each character chases their version of the American Dream, their lives spiral into tragedy and madness. Addiction leads to loss, imprisonment, prostitution, and psychological collapse. The film is known for its haunting visuals, intense editing, and an unforgettable score by Clint Mansell.

The story is a harrowing descent into hopelessness, serving as a powerful warning about the destructiveness of addiction.

Spun (2002), directed by Jonas Åkerlund, is a frenetic, darkly comic drama that delves into the chaotic world of methamphetamine addiction.

The film follows Ross (Jason Schwartzman), a college dropout and meth user, who gets caught up in a whirlwind of drug-fueled madness over the course of three days. He becomes the driver for The Cook (Mickey Rourke), an eccentric meth manufacturer, while navigating a bizarre network of addicts, strippers, and lowlifes, including his ex-girlfriend and a stripper named Nikki (Brittany Murphy).

With hyper-stylized editing, distorted visuals, and rapid pacing, Spun portrays the mental and physical toll of addiction in a wild, almost cartoonish way—similar in tone to Trainspotting, but with even more chaotic energy. Despite its humor and surrealism, the film paints a bleak picture of lives consumed by meth, filled with delusion, desperation, and emotional numbness.

Half Nelson (2006), directed by Ryan Fleck, is a character-driven drama about contradictions, addiction, and unexpected human connection.

The story centers on Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling), a bright, idealistic middle-school history teacher in Brooklyn who hides a secret: he's addicted to crack cocaine. Despite his personal struggles, he tries to inspire his students with lessons about dialectics, social change, and history beyond the textbooks. His double life begins to unravel when Drey (Shareeka Epps), one of his students, catches him getting high.

An unlikely bond forms between Dan and Drey—both lost in different ways—which becomes the emotional core of the film. As Dan spirals and Drey is drawn toward a neighborhood drug dealer, they each become mirrors of vulnerability and strength in the other.

Half Nelson is a subtle, quietly powerful film that avoids clichés. It's not about redemption or rescue, but about the complexities of human connection in broken circumstances.

Candy (2006), directed by Neil Armfield, is a harrowing romantic drama about love, addiction, and self-destruction.

The film follows Dan (Heath Ledger), a poet, and Candy (Abbie Cornish), an art student, who fall deeply in love and descend together into heroin addiction. Their relationship is intense and passionate, but as their dependency grows, so does the chaos in their lives. The film is structured in three acts—Heaven, Earth, and Hell—which trace their journey from blissful infatuation to emotional and physical devastation.

As the couple's addiction deepens, they face financial ruin, moral compromises, failed rehab attempts, and personal loss. Despite their deep love, the damage becomes too great to repair, and they're ultimately forced to confront the reality that love alone can’t save them from addiction.

Candy is raw, emotionally intense, and heartbreakingly realistic, with powerful performances that capture the highs of romance and the lows of dependency.

Permanent Midnight (1998), directed by David Veloz, is a biographical drama based on the memoir by television writer Jerry Stahl, chronicling his battle with heroin addiction during his successful Hollywood career.

Ben Stiller stars as Stahl, a talented but deeply troubled TV writer who works on popular sitcoms while secretly maintaining a destructive drug habit. Despite outward success—writing for hit shows, marrying a studio executive, and having a child—his life is spiraling out of control behind the scenes. He shoots up between meetings, lies compulsively, and eventually loses everything to his addiction.

Told in a nonlinear style, the film flashes between Stahl’s past drug-fueled experiences and his present attempt to stay clean and reflect on his life. It's a grim, darkly satirical portrait of success masking deep personal ruin.

Permanent Midnight is notable for its unflinching portrayal of addiction’s impact on a functioning professional, and for Ben Stiller’s against-type, emotionally raw performance.

Bad Lieutenant (1992), directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Harvey Keitel, is a gritty, disturbing character study of moral decay and tortured redemption.

The film follows an unnamed New York City police lieutenant (Keitel), who is corrupt to the core—deep in debt, addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and sex. As he spirals through self-destruction, he becomes consumed by a case involving the brutal rape of a young nun. When he learns that the nun refuses to identify her attackers and forgives them instead, the lieutenant is both enraged and spiritually shaken.

Haunted by guilt and despair, he begins to seek redemption in his own twisted, tormented way. The film culminates in a grim attempt at atonement that blends Catholic guilt, existential anguish, and urban decay.

Bad Lieutenant is raw, controversial, and emotionally intense, anchored by a fearless, harrowing performance from Keitel. It explores themes of sin, forgiveness, and the possibility (or impossibility) of salvation in a corrupted soul.

Rush (1991), directed by Lili Fini Zanuck, is a gritty crime drama based on a true story, exploring the psychological and moral toll of undercover police work and drug addiction.

The film stars Jason Patric as Jim Raynor and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Kristen Cates, two narcotics officers in Texas who go undercover to infiltrate the local drug scene. In order to maintain their cover, they begin using drugs themselves—starting with casual use and quickly spiraling into full-blown heroin addiction. As their relationship becomes both romantic and codependent, they descend deeper into corruption, deceit, and personal ruin.

Their mission becomes increasingly blurred, culminating in a fabricated case against a local drug kingpin, as the line between right and wrong dissolves completely. The film portrays the emotional and moral breakdown of law enforcers who lose themselves in the world they're supposed to be fighting.

Rush is raw and haunting, with powerful performances and a memorable soundtrack, including Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.” It offers a bleak but compelling look at addiction, systemic failure, and lost innocence.

Clean and Sober (1988) is a drama film starring Michael Keaton as Daryl Poynter, a successful but deeply troubled real estate agent with a serious drug and alcohol addiction.

After waking up next to a dead woman and facing potential legal trouble and financial ruin, Daryl checks into a rehab facility—not out of a desire to get clean, but to hide from the law.

At the rehab center, Daryl meets counselor Craig (played by Morgan Freeman), who challenges him to confront his denial and begin taking responsibility for his actions. As Daryl struggles through the recovery process, he forms relationships with other recovering addicts and starts to understand the depth of his addiction.

The film explores themes of personal accountability, the complexity of recovery, and the painful but necessary process of change. Keaton’s performance marked a departure from his comedic roles and was critically praised for its raw intensity.

The Boost (1988) is a drama starring James Woods and Sean Young that tells the story of Lenny Brown, a charismatic and ambitious real estate hustler who gets caught up in the high-stakes world of quick money and excess in 1980s Los Angeles.

Lenny and his wife Linda move to California, where he finds major success thanks to a lucrative tax shelter deal. Their lives seem glamorous and exciting—until the business collapses. Under pressure and desperate to maintain their lifestyle, Lenny is introduced to cocaine, which he quickly becomes addicted to. The drug use spirals out of control, destroying his career, marriage, and sense of self.

The film offers a harsh look at addiction, materialism, and the cost of chasing the American Dream. Woods delivers a powerful, intense performance as a man whose drive and ego ultimately lead to his downfall.

Alcoholism 

Everything Must Go (2010) is a drama starring Will Ferrell in a rare serious role as Nick Halsey, a man whose life unravels after he loses his job and his wife leaves him on the same day. She locks him out of the house and leaves all his belongings on the front lawn, essentially forcing him to live among his possessions.

Struggling with alcoholism and trying to make sense of his downward spiral, Nick decides to hold a yard sale to get rid of his things and, symbolically, his past. Along the way, he forms tentative connections with a lonely neighborhood boy and a new neighbor, both of whom help him reflect on his life and start to confront his problems.

The film is a quiet, introspective look at addiction, loss, and the painful process of starting over. It’s based on a short story by Raymond Carver titled “Why Don’t You Dance?”

Smashed (2012) is a drama that follows the story of Kate Hannah (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a young elementary school teacher whose life seems stable on the surface but is unraveling due to her alcoholism. She often drinks to excess, leading to risky and embarrassing situations—including vomiting in class and lying about being pregnant to cover it up.

When one of her coworkers encourages her to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, Kate begins the difficult journey of sobriety. As she tries to get clean, she finds that her relationships—especially with her husband Charlie (Aaron Paul), who is also a heavy drinker—are tested and strained. Sobriety forces her to confront not just her addiction but the enabling dynamics in her life.

The film offers an honest, unflinching look at addiction and recovery, with a strong, nuanced performance by Winstead. It focuses more on the emotional and relational impacts of getting sober than dramatic addiction clichés.

Ironweed (1987) is a powerful drama based on William Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. Set during the Great Depression, the film follows Francis Phelan (Nicholson), a homeless alcoholic who returns to his hometown of Albany, New York, after years of drifting.

Haunted by guilt over accidentally causing his infant son's death years earlier, Francis reconnects with Helen (Streep), a fellow alcoholic and once-promising singer who now lives in poverty. As they navigate a bleak, wintry world of street life and soup kitchens, the film explores their memories, regrets, and efforts to reclaim a sense of dignity in a society that has largely discarded them.

Ironweed is a somber meditation on trauma, forgiveness, and survival, blending realism with occasional hallucinatory sequences as Francis wrestles with ghosts from his past—both literal and figurative.

Sex

Shame (2011), directed by Steve McQueen, is an intense psychological drama that explores the life of Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a successful New York executive whose outwardly controlled life is hollowed out by a secret sex addiction.

Brandon lives in emotional isolation, using anonymous sexual encounters, pornography, and compulsive behavior to cope with his inner emptiness. His fragile world begins to unravel when his troubled, emotionally needy sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) arrives unexpectedly and moves into his apartment. Her presence forces Brandon to confront emotions and vulnerabilities he’s long suppressed.

As the film unfolds, Brandon’s carefully maintained facade begins to break down, exposing the deep shame, loneliness, and self-loathing that drive his compulsions. The movie is raw, visually stark, and deliberately paced, offering an unflinching portrait of addiction—not with sensationalism, but with psychological depth and emotional honesty.

Thanks for Sharing (2012) is a romantic dramedy that follows three people at different stages of recovery from sex addiction. The film stars Mark Ruffalo as Adam, a man who’s been sober for five years and is cautiously beginning a new relationship with Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow), who doesn’t know about his addiction at first.

Alongside Adam’s story, we follow Mike (Tim Robbins), a longtime 12-step sponsor with a rocky relationship with his addict son, and Neil (Josh Gad), a young doctor whose compulsive behavior nearly costs him his job and who begins to take recovery seriously after forming a friendship with fellow group member Dede (Alecia Moore, aka P!nk).

The film balances drama with humor while tackling themes like shame, honesty, relapse, and connection. It portrays the challenges of managing an often misunderstood addiction, emphasizing the importance of support systems, vulnerability, and personal accountability.

Don Jon (2013), written, directed by, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is a romantic dramedy about Jon Martello, a young, macho New Jersey man who appears to have it all—good looks, a close-knit family, a tight group of friends, and a constant stream of women. But Jon harbors a secret: he's addicted to internet pornography, which he finds more satisfying than actual sex.

When he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), a beautiful woman with traditional views on romance, Jon tries to change his ways to please her. However, he soon discovers that she, too, has unrealistic expectations shaped by Hollywood fantasies. Their relationship becomes a clash of illusions and control.

Jon's journey toward emotional intimacy begins when he meets Esther (Julianne Moore), an older, more grounded woman who helps him see past superficial gratification. The film explores themes of addiction, emotional growth, and how media distorts real human connection.

Choke (2008) is a dark comedy based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club), starring Sam Rockwell as Victor Mancini, a sex addict and colonial reenactor with a deeply dysfunctional life.

Victor scams people by pretending to choke in restaurants, then accepting money and sympathy from those who "save" him. He uses the money to pay for his mentally ill mother's (Anjelica Huston) care in a nursing home. As Victor struggles with his addiction, he also wrestles with unresolved childhood trauma, questions about his paternity, and the possibility of genuine emotional connection when he meets a woman who might actually care for him.

The film mixes satire, absurdity, and raw emotional moments, using dark humor to explore themes of identity, addiction, love, and the search for meaning. It’s offbeat, messy, and intentionally provocative—typical of Palahniuk's storytelling.

Eating

The Whale (2022), directed by Darren Aronofsky and based on the play by Samuel D. Hunter, is a psychological drama centered around Charlie, a reclusive and morbidly obese English teacher who teaches writing courses online with his camera turned off. Isolated in his apartment, Charlie is struggling with severe health issues and is aware he may be nearing the end of his life.

The film follows his attempt to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, Ellie, hoping to find redemption and meaning in his final days. Through emotionally intense interactions with Ellie, a missionary named Thomas, his nurse and friend Liz, and others, the film explores themes of grief, guilt, forgiveness, and the human desire for connection.

Brendan Fraser stars as Charlie and delivers a deeply emotional performance, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film is known for its intimate setting, raw emotional depth, and commentary on self-worth and humanity.

Fat (2013) is an American independent drama directed by Mark Phinney, offering an unflinching portrayal of food addiction and self-destruction. The film centers on Ken (played by Mel Rodriguez), an obese man in Boston grappling with compulsive eating, depression, and deteriorating health. Despite interventions from friends and medical professionals, Ken resists change, spiraling deeper into isolation and despair. A chance encounter with a woman named Audrey (Ashley Lauren) presents a glimmer of hope, potentially motivating him to confront his destructive habits.

Drawing from Phinney's personal experiences, Fat employs a pseudo-documentary style to deliver a raw and honest depiction of addiction. The film has been praised for its gritty realism and Rodriguez's compelling performance, though some critics note the protagonist's abrasive behavior can make empathy challenging. Overall, Fat serves as a stark exploration of the complexities of addiction and the arduous journey toward self-acceptance.

Movie summaries were compiled using ChatGPT. The list was compiled by us.

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