Emily Blunt has gone from bombs to pills in her domination of 2023 cinema.
The “Oppenheimer” actress and anticipated Oscar nominee leads (and also executive produces) Netflix film “Pain Hustlers” alongside MCU alum Chris Evans. BAFTA-winning “Harry Potter” franchise director David Yates helms the pharmaceutical-centric drama adapted by Wells Tower from Evan Hughes’ book of the same name.
The official synopsis reads: Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices.
Catherine O’Hara, Chloe Coleman, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James, Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, and Willie Raysor also star in the R-rated film.
Netflix teased that “Pain Hustlers” is a “sharp and revealing look at what some people do out of desperation and others do out of greed.”
The film is produced by director Yates and Lawrence Grey, with Blunt executive producing alongside Mark Moran, Yvonne Walcott-Yates, Lewis Taylor, and Ben Everard.
“Emily loved the character and she loved the idea of this story,” director Yates told Entertainment Weekly of Blunt’s commitment to the role. “I think what appealed to her more than anything was the fact that we were not taking a very straightforward approach to the story. It’s a bit subversive, it’s a bit naughty, it’s got some humor at play. She said, ‘You know what, David? I’m so sick of seeing leading female characters who have to be so honorable and straightforward.’ What she loved about Liza is she’s sometimes a little bit shady to get the deal done and fulfill her ambition, and she gets taken up by the whole rollercoaster of it. And I think what we both love about that character is the fact that Liza is fallible, ultimately, and she sort of loses her way a little bit in the moral maze of it all.”
Yates continued, “I think Emily was excited by creating that character for the audience to see a woman who’s fallible and culpable and accountable for her actions.”
“Pain Hustlers” premieres in select theaters October 20 and will be available to stream on Netflix October 27. Check out the teaser below.
