CRISIS

Written and Directed by Nicholas Jarecki

Starring Armie Hammer, Gary Oldman, Evangeline Lilly, Greg Kinnear, Luke Evans, Michelle Rodriguez and Lily-Rose Depp

First and foremost, let’s begin by addressing and clarifying one of the very first pieces of information shared on-screen in Crisis. I’m going to be quite upfront about this because it really irked me at the end of the film and post-credits. The producers would like viewers to genuinely believe that what unfolds over the next two hours is all inspired by a true story. As engrossing as it is to watch, one thing that Crisis is not is truthful. In fact, depending on how seriously you choose to ponder and perceive its true intentions, one could argue the film is attempting to plant seeds of doubt in susceptible minds that has striking parallels to what’s going on in and around our lives right this very moment. Therefore, I find the timing of its release just as questionable as its intent. Nevertheless, that other part of me is reluctantly willing to accept it’s ‘just a movie’ and not to take it all so seriously.

As many of us know, there has been a serious opioids epidemic in the United States since the late 1990’s. It is this that is the inspiration for telling three separate and fictional stories about the world of opioids, in similar fashion to the far superior 2000 crime drama, Traffic.

The first story involves Armie Hammer as Jake Kelly, a drug trafficker playing his part in a multi-cartel drug smuggling operation that opens the film and doesn’t go according to plan. Jake also has a sister (played by Lily-Rose Depp) who is battling an opioid addiction. Next, we have Claire Reimann (Evangeline Lilly), an architect and recovering oxycodone addict trying to make a better life for herself and her 16 year-old son. Finally, Oscar-winner Gary Oldman stars as Dr. Tyrone Brower, a university professor whose team of scientists are at the final testing phase for a new painkiller ready to hit the market that’s the first of its kind that claims to be non-addictive.

CRISIS Trailer: Gary Oldman & Armie Hammer star in Nicholas Jarecki's 2021 Ensemble Opioid Epidemic Movie | FilmBook
Of course, I could elaborate the plot details much more than I have without revealing spoilers, but I’ve stubbornly chosen to leave it there for I believe that Crisis will be even more entertaining and exciting to watch just this way. Also, to say much more than what I’ve stated in the synopsis will likely result in you being able to quite quickly and easily predict where each story is heading. Despite my aforementioned criticism of the film’s deceitful nature, its strengths really do lie in the plot’s intricacies and the pacing of the film. Allow these facets to do their job whilst treating the film as fiction and you will probably get your money’s worth from watching this.