10 Louis Theroux Documentaries You Need To Watch Before You Die

10. Dark States: Heroin Town

As a documentary filmmaker and journalist, one of the most confusing aspects of Theroux’s work is how rarely he chooses traditionally ‘hot-topics’ to investigate.

Although this may seem counter-intuitive for his career, it has certainly been a contributing factor to how timeless many of his documentaries feel.

However, his investigation into the effects of the US opioids epidemic on a small West Virginian community for his 2017 series Dark States challenged this precedent and in doing so produced one of his most powerful and harrowing films.

During his stay in Huntington, Theroux met people from all walks of life who had fallen victim to an addiction to prescription painkillers. He also spent time with the emergency services as they struggled to cope with the sheer number of overdoses everyday.

From promising high school students who had gained access to their parent's medication to chronic pain sufferers who had no other legal options, the film terrifyingly proves that nobody is immune to the growing public health crisis.

Through his trademark blend of deeply personal questions and compassion, Theroux paints a truly tragic picture of not only the lives of the addicts, but also their families who are seemingly just waiting for news of a fatal overdose.

Despite being an extremely tough to watch documentary, it is certainly one of his most prescient and shines a light on one of America's most shameful secrets.