How to Make Money Selling Drugs

This documentary really blew me away. It was funny, entertaining and informative. The message totally hits home and the film does so in such an effective way.

My favorite part of the film was definitely the way that the story was told. The ten steps were executed flawlessly with such incredible talent. To have such a great mix of celebrities with actual drug king pins really heightens the experience and made me feel like this topic touches such a wide breadth of people.

I also kept thinking about the film long after I left the screening. To me, this is a real sign of a great film.

I had the pleasure of attending a screening for How to Make Money Selling Drugs and I have to start out by saying that it is a definite yes.

This is not your typical documentary. This is a really captivating story that paints an overall picture by allowing the viewer inside of each step of the drug wars and drug dealing businesses both in our country and internationally. The viewer is brought into so many different people's lives and so many facets of the drug wars that you are left whole when the film ends.

The film is funny in a genuine way, yet powerful at the same time. I will reiterate that it's something to put on your radar.

I think that we can all agree that a documentary about drug dealing or drugs wars is not a particularly new subject matter. I have seen many documentaries and television shows that discuss such topics. But I am happy to report that this documentary is not like the rest. It is a totally novel discussion and portrayal of what it takes to rise in the ranks, paired with engaging and entertaining narration, followed by a powerful message that left me thinking about the subject matter for hours, if not days thereafter.

I was captivated by not only the pace and dialogue, but the talent of the film.

I am interested to see what the future holds for this movie, and I am certain it will gain a huge following and critical acclaim. It's definitely one to watch.

Most documentaries nowadays have excellent production value. This one is no different. It makes its point eloquently with appealing footage and (political) arguments all sautéed in an emotionally-rich sauce. It's effective if manipulative.

The message is controversial. It is outside, way outside, the mainstream understanding of drugs, its effects (medical and recreational), and its politics. Granted, public understanding of drugs is essentially zero and any form of knowledge, no matter how trivial, necessarily surpasses the official, infantile message of "evilness".

However, it is a mistake to think this is an educational documentary or that it is a documentary that will teach you anything relevant about any of the topics allegedly addressed. It is just (political) entertainment that will find fertile ground among a certain clique.

At the end of the film's premiere, the 300-odd cinema buffs at the Toronto Int Film Festival were in shock. They were still absorbing the multiple emotions evoked by the film's personalities and power. Ostensibly about the war against drugs and the drug trade, "How to Make Money Selling Drugs" paints on a much larger canvas. So many everyday impressions of how governments work, what the drug trade is, and how it's become such a scourge were overturned, it was difficult to take it all in. I think many will see the film a second or third time to fully absorb its import.

The production values are unusual for a documentary. "Talking heads" do not appear as such because everyone we get to meet comes across as a whole person, a unique individual with hopes, weaknesses, and strengths outside of the discussion at hand. They are characters in a real life story with real life consequences for them and the world around all of us. We get to know every one of them a little bit. I left wanting to learn more about many of them. What happens as a result is that the film rises to another level, another theme — a deeply human portrayal of the human condition. A surprisingly revealing mirror of ourselves. It's reporting of the highest possible caliber.