: Unlike many addiction dramas that focus solely on the user, this film uniquely explores the fractured relationship between an adult daughter and her mother (Glenn Close). It illustrates the concept of "tough love" and the constant fear of enabling that families often navigate.
: Critics and organizations like Common Sense Media note the film's utility as a tool for discussing the dangers of drug dependency and the importance of supportive parent-child boundaries with teenagers. : Unlike many addiction dramas that focus solely
: A central plot device is the medical requirement for the character Molly (Kunis) to stay clean for four consecutive days before she can safely receive a monthly opioid antagonist injection . This highlights the intense, high-stakes waiting period often faced by those seeking medical intervention for addiction. : A central plot device is the medical
A useful feature of the film is its unflinching realism in depicting the physical and emotional toll of the opioid crisis, particularly through the dramatic transformation of Mila Kunis . To authentically portray a long-term heroin user, Kunis lost 20 pounds and wore prosthetic "meth teeth" along with fake scars and sores. To authentically portray a long-term heroin user, Kunis
Based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Eli Saslow for The Washington Post, the film highlights several specific aspects of the addiction and recovery process: