This is a mostly well-made, engaging documentary about the US failed 'War On Drugs' and its surrounding issues. It's definitely thought-provoking. If you're not from the US, (or don't know anyone directly impacted by the war on drugs), then you may find it a bit boring or not applicable to you. It's very America-centric, particularly in its prison system and sentencing laws.
There are some really tragic personal stories here, as is usually the case with lives impacted by drugs. Some of the US politics explored were a bit boring and pedantic (for me as an outsider), but I recognised their importance in creating this mess itself.
The film got me thinking a lot about my friends currently incarcerated in the US prison system due to drugs. That made me feel frustrated and emotional. Some of the statistics presented were jaw-dropping. Either way you look at the film and issues discussed, "injustice" is the key word throughout and mandatory minimums are insane.
The socio-economic and racial issues underlying the war on drugs are also explored, and probably the strongest point of the film. I felt the film got slightly 'preachy' towards the end though, and it failed to provide any solutions to the problem. Anybody can pick apart the flaws and issues within a system, but it takes innovation, effort and intelligence to provide a range of viable solutions and alternatives. I don't think these were properly explored and the film suffered as a result.
There are some really tragic personal stories here, as is usually the case with lives impacted by drugs. Some of the US politics explored were a bit boring and pedantic (for me as an outsider), but I recognised their importance in creating this mess itself.
The film got me thinking a lot about my friends currently incarcerated in the US prison system due to drugs. That made me feel frustrated and emotional. Some of the statistics presented were jaw-dropping. Either way you look at the film and issues discussed, "injustice" is the key word throughout and mandatory minimums are insane.
The socio-economic and racial issues underlying the war on drugs are also explored, and probably the strongest point of the film. I felt the film got slightly 'preachy' towards the end though, and it failed to provide any solutions to the problem. Anybody can pick apart the flaws and issues within a system, but it takes innovation, effort and intelligence to provide a range of viable solutions and alternatives. I don't think these were properly explored and the film suffered as a result.