Louis Theroux: Drinking to Oblivion

In this documentary looking at those who drink to excess, Louis Theroux visits King's College Hospital in London to focus on the lives of four different people.

They include Joe, a thirty-two-year old former medical worker unable to cope with the loss of his girlfriend; Peter, a South African prone to unimaginable panic-attacks; Oriole, a French-Cameroon going out with an alcoholic boyfriend; and an antiques dealer suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.

The stories they tell are quite harrowing, not only for themselves but their loved ones. Joe has been all but abandoned by his family, and now uses the Emergency unit at King's College as a kind of refuge to shelter from the World. Oriole has an appointment with a senior professor who tells her that her liver is in such a bad state that she is on a crash-course towards death unless she quits at the earliest possible opportunity; while the antiques dealer is told - albeit with the kind of indirection characteristic of many medical professionals - that he has a 70+% chance of dying within three months.

Theroux, as a ubiquitous presence in the documentary, finds the experience difficult to fathom; he does not judge those who drink to excess, nor does he feel especially sympathetic towards them. What matters more to him is to find ways of reacting to them; to provide support, or at least to discover alternative means of support by which they could manage their lives.

Such intentions are laudable, and we can only congratulate Theroux for being so honest in front of camera. On the other hand, as with many documentaries of this type, especially those fronted by a star presenter, there remains a nagging feeling that the interviewees have been exploited for dramatic purposes; all of them are carefully chosen by the production team so as to provide as negative an impression as possible of the dangers of alcoholism. They are all aged between thirty and fifty - supposedly the prime of human life. Due to various reasons, however, they have not been able to enjoy their lives; and are hence represented as somehow deviant.

The documentary makes for good television, giving Theroux the chance to make observations direct to camera or through voice-over, but perhaps this effect has not achieved at the subjects' expense.

Drinking to Oblivion is one of Louis Theroux's many documentaries, this time focusing on the devastating effects of alcoholism. As usual, Theroux approaches the subject with sensitivity and respect, allowing the individuals he interviews to share their stories in their own words.

While the documentary certainly captures the heartbreaking reality of alcoholism, I found it lacking in depth. The film shows the tragic consequences of excessive drinking and how it destroys lives, but it doesn't delve deeply enough into the root causes or potential solutions to this widespread issue. The narrative feels somewhat surface-level, missing an opportunity to explore the broader context of addiction and recovery.

Overall, while Drinking to Oblivion is certainly eye-opening and evokes sympathy for its subjects, it falls short of being truly impactful. It's a sobering watch, but I was left wanting more insight. I give it a 4/10.

Trigger warning: This documentary is not for a fun, relaxing day at home. It is a real look at addiction through the eyes of South Londoner's who are at the end of their addiction journeys, and possibly their lives.

Even if you have seen addiction up close, Drinking to Oblivion takes you beyond everyday addiction, into when the everyday becomes a struggle for survival.

Not exploitive like A&E's Intervention, we seen alcoholics as they live as an everyday person along with their families. Louis Theroux asks heart breaking questions, of which I could never find the courage to ask the addicts I love.

So intense that I had to watch in two seatings, your find yourself pleading with them for a better outcome.

A truly life-changing experience for views of this masterpiece documentary film. Not since Capturing The Friedman's has the unpredictable trajectory of 'ordinary' peoples live been laid so bare for an audience. Louis has some history with breaking virgin ground in this field. His hypnotizing Louis Theroux: Transgender Kids and The Most Hated Family in America have shone light on people and conditions that shock and thrill equally when seen. His much anticipated My Scientology Movie must be looking at a theater run to open u the real potential of Oscar shaped success and recognition for the best documentary team working anywhere today.