Prescription Thugs (2016): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2016, Prescription Thugs is a documentary film directed by Chris Bell, running about 86 minutes. “Is there really a war on drugs?” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Americans consume 75% of the world’s prescription drugs. After losing his own brother to the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse, documentarian Chris Bell sets out to demystify this insidious addiction. Bell’s examination into the motives of big pharma and doctors in this ever-growing market leads him to meet with experts on the nature of addiction, survivors with first-hand accounts of their struggle, and whistleblowers who testify to the dollar-driven aims of pharmaceutical corporations. Ultimately his investigation will point back to where it all began: his own front door.

Who’s in it. Prescription Thugs stars Chris Bell as Himself (Host).

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.3/10, Prescription Thugs has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Prescription Thugs page.

If you liked it. Fans of Prescription Thugs tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.