Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Requiem for a Dream follows four people in Brooklyn whose separate dreams — a lonely widow’s television fantasy and three young adults’ hopes of escape and success — are steadily destroyed by addiction. Sara Goldfarb, a retired widow, becomes obsessed with appearing on a TV show and goes on diet pills to fit into a prized red dress; her son Harry, his girlfriend Marion, and friend Tyrone chase money, status and euphoria through heroin and cocaine. As each character pursues a shortcut to fulfillment, their lives unravel in parallel, trading small triumphs for dependence, degradation and heartbreak. Watching the film is an intense, often harrowing experience: it’s tightly focused on the physical and psychological toll of substance abuse and spares little in showing the consequences. Expect rapid-fire montages, claustrophobic visuals and an escalating sense of dread as routines become rituals and hope turns to desperation. The movie is emotionally raw and unflinching — shocking and eye-opening rather than comforting — and it forces viewers to confront how addiction corrodes relationships, identity and the possibility of escape. Content note: the film contains explicit depictions of drug use, physical and mental decline, and distressing scenes that some viewers will find deeply upsetting. If you watch it, prepare for a powerful, uncompromising drama that lingers after the credits roll.

Actors: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Runtime: 102 min

Genre: Drama

7.8 /10 71 /100 8.3 /10 7.7 /10