25 Best Movies About Drugs Ever Made
Taking you through the highs and the lows of the genre!
Universal PicturesIf there's one thing that people have been pretty good at throughout the ages, it's getting out of their heads. From the prehistoric Shamans through to the ravers of the late 20th century, whether for spiritual enlightenment or hedonistic pleasure, people have a long-standing reputation for taking drugs. It's only natural that this drive for intoxication and its social and cultural impact is reflected in movies, and there have been dozens of them produced, covering everything from marijuana and heroin through to ecstasy and cocaine. Some are cautionary tales about the perils of excessive indulgence and the dangers of addiction, while others celebrate the subcultures which have emerged around drug scenes; affectionate looks at a particular time and a place. Here are 25 of the greatest movies about drugs ever made, taking us on a journey through the highs and the lows while spanning genres from comedies and dramas through to science fiction and the biopic. Think we've missed something from the list? Why not post a comment below? 25. Up In Smoke
Paramount PicturesThe Drug: Marijuana Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke might not have earned any acclaim from critics at the time - who pretty much panned the movie into the ground - but history has been much kinder to this 1978 cult classic and it has gone down as perhaps the definitive stoner movie of all time, for better or worse kickstarting a cinematic subgenre which persists to this day with the likes of Harold and Kumar. Up in Smoke's plot - such as it is - could probably fit on the back of a stamp, which is entirely fitting for a movie about two stoner slackers who only feel motivated when it comes to getting their hands on more weed. All the factors which critics lambasted the film for are what lends it its charm - sure, the acting is pretty bad and the script isn't up to much, but it has a laid back, carefree feel throughout which resembles a stoner's haze. Expecting sophistication is about as idiotic as the characters who inhabit the film.