Requiem for a Dream

2011 • 101 minutes

About this movie

This gritty emotionally charged film is set amidst the abandoned beaches and faded glory of Coney Island, Brooklyn. Based upon the novel by celebrated author Hubert Selby Jr., the story intricately links the lives of a lonely widowed mother (Academy Award Winner Ellen Burstyn), her son Harry (Jared Leto), his beautiful girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans). REQUIEM FOR A DREAM is a hypnotic tale of four human beings each pursuing their vision of happiness. Even as everything begins to fall apart, they refuse to let go, plummeting with their dreams into a nightmarish gut-wrenching freefall.

Ratings and reviews

Definitely a movie that is done a little too well, but in a bad way. (If that makes any sense). it's just so very real and visually compelling it'll keep you captivated all the way through, bu ultimately it's just straight up disturbing and you'll most likely regret watching it. It's one of those movies where you'll tell someone who might be distracting you while you're watching to "shut up"! Or you'll say "yeah yeah, I'm busy! Just go away"! In fact, that's exactly what I was telling my little sister who was trying to get my attention over something dumb while I was watching. Haha! However, as I was very much impressed with how emotionally captivating it was, as a former drug addict I Believe that I felt this movie to be even more disturbing compared to someone who has never done any kind of drugs. It just strikes such an accurate and depressing chord with people who have gone down the rabbit hole in similar situations as the characters did within this movie. It just brought back too many bad memories from my dark past.

This film takes a gritty, fantastic, and artistic leap at exaggerating the reality of Drug usage, and how it can affect each person differently. The film grabs the viewer and thrusts them onto a ride full of thrill and adrenaline, and it hardly provides a moment to breath. I definitely recommend watching this, though be warned, for it is graphic and dark. This is not for the faint of heart.

From the director of Black Swan. This movie is depressing and disturbing, but extremely well made and important commentary on how dreams can drive you over the edge. Great acting by everyone involved including Marlon Wayans (if you can believe that).