From its title and premise, the hope for this kind of documentary would be for it to show some respect for the people who died from the Floridian opioid epidemic. At the very least, the film should dissuade people from the crimes documented here, by emphasizing the consequences of these actions. American Pain does not do this. It’s interesting to view how quickly the business gets out of hand for these unethical entrepreneurs – director Darren Foster reveals each development with enough style and flourish to be entertaining – but the film is clearly more fascinated with how the twins got away with drug dealing for so long. It’s a fun watch… if you forget people died from the events of this film.
Synopsis
American Pain tells the jaw-dropping story of twin brothers Chris and Jeff George who open up a chain of pain clinics in Florida where they hand out pain pills like candy.
Storyline
Floridian twin brothers Chris and Jeff George become kingpins of the largest opioid network in the country through their chain of pain clinics.
TLDR
It’s a pretty wild story, but it’s even wilder to show admiration for these irresponsible rich white men
What stands out
True crime documentaries focus on the perpetrator’s mindset as their subject matter. American Pain does the same, presenting the twins as people who viewed others as dollar signs, who operationalized their business, and who were competitive with other dealers. In many ways, they have the standard American businessman’s mindset. However, what American Pain does differently is the emphasis on how their average mindset has led to the largest known opioid drug network in the country. The film suggests that many people would be able to do what the Georges did, if only they had their privilege and were willing to exploit legal loopholes.
