Directed by David Yates, the film featuring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans delves into the rise and fall of Zanna Pharmaceuticals, shedding light on the lasting damage caused by the corruption within the pharmaceutical industry, often referred to as ‘Big Pharma.’ The narrative immerses viewers in the lives of Zanna’s representatives and the extremes they went to in order to promote their drugs.
Reportedly based on real events, the film closely mirrors the notorious opioid crisis that unfolded in the USA. The conclusion of the story left many viewers pondering whether it constituted a happy ending for Liza or not. Let’s break it down.
Liza Drake, portrayed by Emily Blunt, and numerous other representatives from Zanna’s team begin resorting to bribery, targeting ‘prescribers’ or doctors, to endorse Lonafen, a drug purported to be more effective and faster-acting than their standard pain medication. The twist lies in the fact that initially, Lonafen was prescribed solely to cancer patients experiencing severe pain due to the disease. However, as a result of the bribes, doctors started advocating for the drug even for minor ailments like headaches. This inevitably led to people becoming addicted to Lonafen and tragically succumbing to its effects.
In an act of bravery, Liza chooses to blow the whistle on Zanna’s illegal activities, reporting the crimes to the Florida District Attorney. This includes exposing Dr. Jack Nell, portrayed by Andy Garcia, the founder of Zanna, and Pete Brenner, played by Chris Evans. Dr. Neel, however, takes care to avoid leaving any incriminating paper trail of his actions. Fortunately, Liza uncovers evidence of his involvement in the scandal through email exchanges between Jack and her own mother, Jackie, portrayed by Catherine O’Hara. These messages explicitly discuss the bribery of doctors to prescribe his drug.
During the trial, Pete receives a 36-month jail sentence, while Jack is handed a 66-month term. The district attorney attempts to recommend leniency for Liza due to her crucial role in their investigations. However, since she was directly implicated in Zanna’s corruption, she is sentenced to serve 15 months behind bars.
Following her release from prison, Liza is depicted as assisting her mother, Jackie, in selling her skincare products, alongside several former Zanna representatives. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for a recovering addict rebuilding their life after overcoming addiction. In Liza’s case, her addiction was to wealth, success, and greed.
As for the film’s authenticity, while not every detail aligns with reality, the overall narrative is based on the true story of Insys Therapeutics. The movie draws inspiration from Evan Hughes’ book ‘The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup.’ The film concludes with actual news footage of Insys’s founder, John Kapoor, who served as the inspiration for the character Dr. Jack Neel, being sentenced to prison. Lonafen in the film is a representation of Kapoor’s real drug, Subsys, which he illicitly promoted.
