10 Great Films About Addiction

10. Traffic (2000)

Traffic is a multi-narrative drama that looks at the drug trade from various different angles. Unlike others on this list, it's not only about addiction, but how drug addicts are effected by society and how the US government attempted to tackle the War on Drugs.

At the centre of the story, Mexican police officer Javier Rodriguez (Benicio del Toro) attempts to infiltrate an illegal drug ring, and conservative judge Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) must come to terms with the fact that his successful daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) has slipped into drug addiction.

Traffic is an epic analysis of how many different aspects of society are effected by the drug trade, whether it's the families blindsided by their loved one's secret dependency or the moral public servants trying desperately to end the despair.

With a cast rounded out by Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Topher Grace and Luis Guzman, as well as some Oscar-winning direction courtesy of Steven Soderbergh, Traffic is a must-watch drama even 20+ years on from its initial release.