Films about substance abuse in the United States

The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 American biographical dark comedy crime film co-produced and directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Terence Winter, and based on Jordan Belfort's 2007 memoir. It loosely recounts Belfort's career as a stockbroker in New York City and how his firm, Stratton Oakmont, engaged in rampant corruption and fraud on Wall Street, leading to his downfall. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort; Jonah Hill as his business partner and friend Donnie Azoff; Margot Robbie as his second wife, Naomi Lapaglia; Matthew McConaughey as his mentor and former boss Mark Hanna; and Kyle Chandler as FBI special agent Patrick Denham portraying Gregory Coleman. It is DiCaprio's fifth collaboration with Scorsese.

The Substance is a 2024 body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. It follows a fading celebrity who is fired by her producer due to her age and uses a black market drug that creates a younger version of herself with unexpected side effects.

2012 film directed by Stephen Chbosky

2005 film by James Mangold

2007 film by Judd Apatow

2012 film by Robert Zemeckis

2014 film by Jean-Marc Vallée

2003 film by Catherine Hardwicke

2008 film by Jonathan Demme

2015 film directed by Antoine Fuqua

2010 film directed by Nicholas Stoller

1991 film directed by Spike Lee

1995 film by Larry Clark

2020 film directed by Kornél Mundruczó

2009 film by Werner Herzog

1989 film by Gus Van Sant

2006 film directed by Ryan Fleck

2021 film directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

1998 film directed by Mark Christopher

2024 film by Jon Watts

2010 film directed by Floria Sigismondi

1967 film directed by Mark Robson

1977 film by Richard Brooks

1991 film by Alan Rudolph

Mid90s (stylized as mid90s) is a 2018 American coming-of-age comedy-drama skate film written and directed by Jonah Hill, in his feature directorial debut. The plot follows Stevie, a 13-year-old boy in 1990s Los Angeles. To escape a troubled home life, he begins spending time with an older group of skateboarders. The cast includes Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Na-Kel Smith, Alexa Demie, and Katherine Waterston.

1987 film directed by Marek Kanievska

2022 film directed by Kasi Lemmons

2007 film by Jake Kasdan

2001 American film by Daniel Sackheim

1972 film by Sidney J. Furie

1981 film directed by Sidney Lumet

2009 film by Rebecca Miller

1946 film by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

1936 film directed by Louis J. Gasnier

2005 film by Jamie Babbit

1992 American film by Marc Rocco

1980 film by Adrian Lyne

2003 film directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato

2007 film by Gregg Araki

Christy is a 2025 American biographical sports drama film directed by David Michôd, written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes, and starring Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O'Brian, Ethan Embry, and Chad L. Coleman. The film chronicles the rise of former professional boxer Christy Martin (Sweeney) to becoming America's best-known female boxer in the 1990s, and later her coach-turned-husband's 2010 attempted murder of her.

Sherrybaby is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Laurie Collyer. The film premiered in the Dramatic Competition at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2006 and received a limited release in the United States on September 8, 2006.

2023 film directed by JT Mollner

2011 film by Adam Kassen, Mark Kassen

2025 film directed by Michael Pearce

2005 film by Griffin Dunne

2002 film directed by D. J. Caruso

1998 film by Anthony Drazan

2019 film directed by Jeff Tremaine

1982 film by Slava Tsukerman

2001 film by James Toback

1991 film directed by Lili Fini Zanuck

1987 film directed by Christopher Cain

2023 film directed by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

2004 film by Debra Granik

2008 film by Peter Tolan

2019 film by Jen McGowan

Floundering is a 1994 comedy film set in the aftermath of the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The film was directed and written by Peter McCarthy in his directorial debut and stars James LeGros, with appearances by John Cusack, Ethan Hawke, and Lisa Zane. The film is told as a narrative delivered by the main character John under the pessimism of the early 1990s.

1986 film by Richard Pryor

2002 film directed by Zoe Clarke-Williams

2009 film by Buddy Giovinazzo