15 Best Movies About Drugs And Addiction In Cinema History

14. Side Effects

Steven Soderbergh is a filmmaker who likes his pacing. Side Effects - supposedly his last outing as a director - is a prime example of this. A slow-building psychological thriller, Soderbergh's most recent film may be appear a little subdued at first, but seeing it out to the end and watching the events slowly unfold make for a thoroughly rewarding viewing experience. Like Limitless, Side Effects focuses on a fictional drug as opposed to widely illegal substance; an experimental anti-depressant named Ablixa. A suicidal woman is prescribed the drug by her psychiatrist, and appears to be mentally improving, until one of the side effects of the drug sets into motion a string of stunning events that changes her life forever. Soderbergh assembles a delicious cast for Side Effects, with Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum all putting in solid performances; along with the ever-dependable Thomas Newman conducting the tension-cranking score. But where the film really succeeds is in its intelligence; from the screenplay upwards the movie possesses a sort of clever Hitchcockian core whilst maintaining a handsome, modern-day exterior.