Painkiller (TV series)
Painkiller is an American drama limited series made for Netflix and created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. The six-episode series, which is based on Patrick Radden Keefe's New Yorker article "The Family That Built an Empire of Pain" and Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America's Opioid Epidemic by Barry Meier, focuses on the birth of the opioid crisis, with an emphasis on Purdue Pharma, a company owned by Richard Sackler and his family that was the manufacturer of OxyContin. The Sackler family have been described as the "most evil family in America", and "the worst drug dealers in history". Painkiller premiered on Netflix on August 10, 2023. Cast and characters
 Uzo Aduba as Edie Flowers
 Matthew Broderick as Richard Sackler
 Sam Anderson as Raymond Sackler
 Clark Gregg as Arthur Sackler
 Taylor Kitsch as Glen Kryger
 Carolina Bartczak as Lily Kryger
 Tyler Ritter as John L. Brownlee
 John Ales as Gregory Fitzgibbons
 Ron Lea as Bill Havens
 Ana Cruz Kayne as Brianna Ortiz
 West Duchovny as Shannon Schaeffer
 Jack Mulhern as Tyler Kryger
 Dina Shihabi as Britt
 John Rothman as Mortimer Sackler
 John Murphy as Michael Friedman
 Noah Harpster as Curtis Wright

Episodes

Production
Production began in Toronto in April 2021 and wrapped in November 2021. The series was directed by Peter Berg. Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 44% of 36 critics gave the series a positive review, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Painkiller honors the victims of the opioid crisis with effective dramatic beats but is undermined by its stale satirical flourishes, resulting in a tonally confused bit of muckraking." On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Writing for American Council on Science and Health, a pro-industry group, Cameron English criticized the series, alleging that it unfairly pins the blame for the opioid crisis on Purdue and the Sackler family. See also
 Dopesick (miniseries)
 The Crime of the Century

References

External links
 
 

2020s American drama television miniseries
2023 American television series debuts
2023 American television series endings
English-language Netflix original programming
Television shows about drugs
Television shows based on non-fiction books
Television shows filmed in Toronto
Works based on periodical articles
Works by Peter Berg