The Big Picture

  • The 1980s saw Hollywood glamorize drug use with surface-level movies, but Drugstore Cowboy stands out as a weighty and realistic portrayal of addiction.
  • Gus Van Sant directs a heavyweight performance from Matt Dillon, depicting the harrowing reality of addicts chasing drugs.
  • The film captures the transactional nature of addicted characters, the highs and lows of drug use, and the constant threat of law enforcement. It ultimately serves as a tragedy without a happy ending.