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Movies about drug addiction haven’t exactly existed as long as drug addiction has been a thing. Apparently it took a very long time for humanity to recognize it as a disease. Hence, the process of depicting it on the screen was delayed, which in turn probably exacerbated the problems centered around the subject due to the lack of awareness. When movies about drug addiction started to get made, there were some that glorified it while others tried their best to deromanticize it, thereby muddling people’s understanding of what exactly entailed if you were caught in the clutches of substance abuse. And just when I thought that we were starting to get a consistent supply of movies and TV shows that accurately portrayed the horrors of drug addiction, this space was hijacked by straight-to-ott releases where teens (being played by adult actors) partook in all sorts of debauchery in a messy but cool way,...

Withdrawal tells the story of a romantic couple, Viv and Jay, who are addicted to heroin. At one point, Viv’s uber-rich parents decide that enough is enough and give her 24 hours to decide if she wants to go to rehab or sever any connection she has with her family. If Viv goes to rehab, she won’t be able to stay with Jay, and if she loses access to her bank account, then the couple won’t survive. So, Viv and Jay decide to go cold turkey, suffer through a night of drug withdrawal, and come out the other end as changed human beings. The movie is harrowing, riveting, and oddly romantic. I sat down with director Aaron Strand for a virtual chat about his style of visual storytelling, how he crafted one of the most uncomfortable scenes put to screen, and more.

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