Drugstore Cowboy

Is this the best film ever made about addiction? Gus Van Sant’s 1989 indie is filled with rich detail and insight into the life of a drug addict, brought to life by a career-defining Matt Dillon performance. Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon) is the leader of a “family” of drug addicts consisting of his wife, Dianne (Kelly Lynch), and another couple who feed their habit by robbing drug stores as they travel across the country. After a tragedy befalls a member of his group, Bob decides he must leave his dysfunctional clan and go straight. Parting ways with his junkie past proves more difficult than expected when Bob is stalked by an old acquaintance looking to score drugs at any price.