Release Date: June 26, 2013 (limited)
Currently Playing on VOD Platforms
Director: Matthew Cooke
MPAA Rating: NR
Many refer to the profession of selling drugs as a “game.” There are levels to be reached and goals to meet. It’s a game that can reward you with many achievements and trophies, and the difficulty level is relatively low, however you only get one life. In Matthew Cooke’s How to Make Money Selling Drugs, he takes you through the game, level by level, and teaches you how to make it from a small time pusher, to a wealthy cartel owner.
The film plays into the video game motif, with progress bars, 8 bit music, and special bonus stages. This stylistic choice makes an already fascinating film even more entertaining, and plays perfectly into the subject matter. Cooke takes us on an in depth journey through the drug world, exploring nearly every facet of one of the largest industries in the world.
Though it claims to be a guide book of sorts for all those Tony Montana wannabes out there, it delivers its message with a certain amount of snark to let people know that it’s probably not a good idea to try this at home. That being said, it’s also enlightening for the less street smart viewers out there to see how easy it can be to get into the business- and how lucrative it is.
Through interviews with lawyers, former and current dealers, law enforcement, and advocates, the film takes a broad and all-encompassing look at drugs in America and attempts to leave no stone unturned. This is the end all be all of drug docs. There’s so much information packed into the 96 minute runtime, it almost demands a rewatch.
Fortunately, due to the kinetic pacing, and overall fun attitude, rewatching this would be anything but a chore. The film does get serious in certain areas that warrant it, however. When discussing the police mistakenly raiding the house of an elderly woman and killing her, or when cartels throw bags of severed heads into clubs, the tone is respectfully brought down.
One aspect that may tend to irk some viewers is that there is a very clear message to this movie. While it’s not very apparent at the beginning, by the end of the film it’s evident that the director is proposing that the war on drugs must stop. While this is something I myself have believed for years, some may disagree, which could leave them with a bad taste in their mouth regarding the film.
Despite the somewhat preachy conclusion, How to Make Money Selling Drugs is one of the most entertaining and fascinating documentaries of the year. This is one of those few docs that come out every year that should be considered required viewing by the mass populous.
