Pain Hustlers - What We Know So Far
2023 is already proving to be another big year for Netflix on the cinematic front. The service has announced that roughly 49 original movies will be premiering on the platform over the course of the year, including major flagship projects like "Luther: The Fallen Sun" and "Extraction 2" (via Deadline). However, amid the vast sea of films Netflix is set to release over the incoming months, one surprising entry has managed to stand out among the crowd: the crime-drama "Pain Hustlers."
Between an undeniably intriguing plot synopsis involving a deadly conspiracy and a surprising amount of star power layered within both the cast and crew working on the production, "Pain Hustlers" has all the ingredients to become one of the most hotly-anticipated films from Netflix's lineup in 2023. Here's everything we know about the project so far, from the source material it's based on to when exactly it'll be hitting the streaming service.
When will Pain Hustlers be released?
Those looking forward to watching "Pain Hustlers" will be happy to hear that the film is indeed set for release in 2023, though they'll have to wait until the later months of the year to get a chance to watch it. Netflix revealed that the hotly-anticipated drama will be available to watch on the streaming service starting on October 27, 2023.
"Pain Hustlers" won't be completely unrivaled when the big day of release comes. "Saw 10," the whopping 10th mainline installment of the iconic horror-thriller series featuring Jigsaw, is also set to premiere on the very same date (via IMDb). Beyond that, "Pain Hustlers" will also be sharing a release month with another Netflix film, as the fantasy movie "Damsel" starring Millie Bobby Brown releases just two weeks prior on October 13. Only time will tell which of these various production comes out on top in terms of general conversation and buzz.
What is the plot of Pain Hustlers?
"Pain Hustlers" tells the story of Liza Drake, a down-on-her-luck woman from Florida who's trying to balance raising her daughter and sorting out her troubling financial situation. Strapped for cash, Liza takes a job at a failing pharmaceutical start-up, only to find out that it's actually a front for a deadly racketeering operation (via Deadline).
If this plot sounds at all familiar, that's because the movie is actually based on a true story. The film is an adaptation of journalist Evan Hughes' 2018 article in The New York Times Magazine, similarly titled "The Pain Hustlers." The story is a deep dive into the bizarre rise and fall of Insys, a pharmaceutical company that covertly employed nefarious racketeering tactics with prescription drugs. "Pain Hustlers" is a dramatized retelling of these real-world events, trading in a bird's-eye-view analysis for the deeply personal perspective of Liza.
Who is starring in Pain Hustlers?
The cast of "Pain Hustlers" features a few major Hollywood stars among its ranks (via Deadline). Leading the film is Emily Blunt, who viewers may recognize from credits like "A Quiet Place" and "The Girl on the Train." Blunt portrays Liza, the charismatic protagonist who finds herself embroiled in a dangerous criminal plot. Co-starring opposite Blunt is Chris Evans, who viewers may know from his role as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Evans portrays one of Liza's coworkers at the company, though further details on his character have not yet been disclosed.
Beyond the two leads, the supporting cast features Andy García ("The Untouchables"), Catherine O'Hara ("Schitt's Creek"), Jay Duplass ("Transparent"), Brian d'Arcy James ("West Side Story"), and Chloe Coleman ("Avatar: The Way of Water") (via The Hollywood Reporter). Suffice it to say, the cast for "Pain Hustlers" is looking pretty stacked.
Who is directing Pain Hustlers?
"Pain Hustlers" is directed by David Yates (via Deadline), who pop culture fans may best know as one of the most prolific directors in the "Harry Potter" franchise. Yates directed the final four films in the original saga, from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in 2007 all the way to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2" in 2011. He's continued work on the franchise as the director of all three of the "Fantastic Beasts" spin-off movies.
A semi-nonfiction crime drama may seem like a pretty major departure from the bulk of Yates' past work, but the creative has dipped his toe into this less fantastical realm of cinema before. In fact, Yates' directorial debut was 1998's "The Tichborne Claimant," a crime drama based on the historical Tichborne case from the 1800s (via IMDb). Yates has also directed other well-received dramas like "The Girl in the Café," so he's got plenty of experience on this front.