Movies about Drug Dealing and Traffic

Carlito's Way and Scarface made Al Pacino the biggest trafficker in the history of cinema. On the other hand Johnny Depp and Edward Norton's performances respectively in Blow and 25th Hour were equally amazing. In this section there are more than 200 films about trafficking and all kinds of drug trade: stoner action comedies like Pineapple Express and the funny Half baked or big dramas like Traffic and Savages. We highly recommend Sicario, an excellent thriller about drug smuggling from Mexico to the States, directed by Denis Villeneuve.

A bit of history, from the first titles to the Nineties

Until the Fifties and Sixties, the cinematic representation of drug, and, consequently, its dealing, was univocal: a sentence with no appeal to scare the audience and to picture pushers and dealers as super-villains to be taken down. Easy Rider, which came out in 1969, not by chance, is perhaps one of the first movies to represent dealers not as villains, but as protagonists.

Despite this innovation and the general change brought by the contestation of the Sixties, the producers’ behaviour, especially in Hollywood, remains cautious. Conversely, the 1970 movie Joe is a violent condemnation to the new libertarian winds of change.

The production then continues following the classic pattern, with the typical opposition between narcotics teams and criminals and, despite the presence of many films of quality (The French Connection and Cisko Pike, for instance, both starring Gene Hackman), it is only in 1983, with Scarface, that a movie focuses completely on the character of a kingpin of drug trafficking. From the Nineties onward, the cases of biographies of criminals and traffickers multiply: King of New York, Carlito's Way and Clockers are among the best movies about drug dealing ever made. Later, with the so-called stoner comedies (that is, comedies focused on the massive use of narcotic substance, especially smoking), the general atmosphere is greatly eased.

Among the recent movies about drug dealing and trafficking, two Italian works stand out: I Can Quit Whenever I Want, a comedy that also features bitter food for thought (which also has two sequels) and Don't Be Bad, the last movie by the filmmaker Claudio Caligari, prematurely deceased and also known for the 1983 movie Toxic Love.

Listing the best movies about drug dealing: from 'Blow' to '25th Hour'

Those looking for movies on this theme often bear in mind some well-defined references, and, in particular, two kind of stories: the first kind includes more violent and adrenaline-packed movies, epic criminal parables like those in Blow or Scarface, just to mention two widely-known titles. If that is the kind of story you are looking for, there are other films which may be right for you: Mr. Nice, which came out in 2010, is the true story of the Englishman Howard Marks, a true king of international trafficking, whose career culminated in the Eighties. King of New York, already mentioned, is set in the same period and features the great Christopher Walken. Moreover, there are some other relatively recent movies such as Savages and Alpha Dog. If that was not enough, you can visit South America with the wonderful Brazilian movie City of God and the less-known Shottas, the story of two aspiring Jamaican gangsters. This genre also includes the Pusher trilogy and, secondarily, 25th Hour, that, rather than the story of a “professional”, is a slice of a New York dealer’s life. For those fascinated by these lives on the edge, the documentary How to Make Money Selling Drugs is absolutely unmissable, an authentic instruction manual for a successful career in the field of drug dealing. Watch out for the package leaflet, though: there are many side effects!

The comedies: pills, weed and the success of 'We're the Millers'

The second most searched genre among movies about drug dealing is comedy: We're the Millers, a bit vulgar, but doubtlessly exhilarating, had an impressive success. Before it, however, came a surprisingly long history of light or comical movies. Half Baked is an important title, but Pineapple Express, too, is not bad at all. 21 Jump Street is a funny mix of action and laughter, even if the point of view is that of two unlikely narcotics agents. Without the farcical and over-the-top aspects, it is worth mentioning Leaves of Grass, starring Edward Norton, playing the double role of the complementary twins, and the valid movie Charlie Bartlett. An honourable mention also goes to Saving Grace, which plays with a more subtle humour, which is definitely British. Italian cinema also has its part in this category: I Can Quit Whenever I Want is a gem that has nothing to envy to the other films mentioned, and its sequels are not bad, either!

Recent movies about drug dealing. In 2019, 'The Mule', by and with Clint Eastwood

In the latest period, cinema has continuously dealt with the world of drugs and the related trafficking: the infamous Pablo Escobar made a comeback on the scene thanks to a valid TV series, but it also makes an appearance in Escobar: Paradise Lost, in the good movie The Infiltrator, starring Bryan Cranston and even in the recent Loving Pablo, in which he has the unmistakable features of Javier Bardem. The valid movie Ma’ Rosa also deserves a mention, which take place among the degradation and the violence of the slums in Manila. Two more movies that recently came out in theatres are Sicario: Day of the Soldado directed by the Italian filmmaker Stefano Sollima,  less focused on the theme, and with nothing to envy to the first movie, a thriller that stages the delicate situation on the southern border of the U.S.A. The Mule marks the return of good old Clint in the role of an elder, and unsuspected drug transporter!