The family that built an empire of pain

Entertainment · Published 19 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: How did a single pharmaceutical company trigger a national crisis? The Netflix miniseries Painkiller explores the aggressive marketing of OxyContin, documenting how the Sackler family transformed a potent opioid into a blockbuster drug while ignoring the devastating human cost of their corporate ambition.

The series, directed by Peter Berg, is based on investigative reporting by Patrick Radden Keefe and Barry Meier. The story highlights the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, entities condemned by some as 'the worst drug dealers in history' and 'most evil family in America' due to heavy public criticism. It examines how the firm employed dishonest promotional methods to sell OxyContin, which is an oxycodone opioid released over time. The narrative centers on the specific creation of an extended-release oxycodone formulation. It details the company's unethical tactics to market this blockbuster drug. These actions directly contributed to the birth of the modern opioid crisis.

Filming for the miniseries took place throughout Toronto, starting in April 2021 and finishing by November 2021. Since its premiere on August 10, 2023, the show has received a polarized reception from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 50% positive rating from 54 critics, with a consensus that it honors victims through dramatic beats but suffers from "stale satirical flourishes" and a "tonally confused" approach to its muckraking. The production wrapped in November 2021 after a year of filming. Its Metacritic score sits at a weighted average of 59 out of 100. This score is based on reviews from 26 different critics.

The series has also sparked industry pushback. Cameron English, writing for the pro-industry advocacy group American Council on Science and Health, criticized the production for unfairly pinning the blame for the opioid crisis solely on Purdue and the Sacklers. This highlights the ongoing debate over the complexity of the crisis, contrasting the show's focus on corporate greed with broader systemic arguments regarding pharmaceutical regulation and public health. The show was created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. It serves as a dramatization of a New Yorker article. This highlights the tension between artistic storytelling and historical accuracy.

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