Lenny Brown moves to California to find his fortune in tax shelter investments. When the federal government changes the tax laws, poor Lenny finds himself $700,000 in hock with nowhere to turn. His friend, Joel, introduces him to cocaine to give Lenny that needed "boost". What ensues next is a descent into drug addiction and insanity as Lenny tries to regain control of his life, all the while needing that extra "boost".
Acting
Woods gives a masterclass in sweaty, vibrating desperation.
Direction
Becker turns LA into a neon-lit pressure cooker.
Editing
The crash sequences hit like a panic attack.
Director
Harold Becker
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during the Iran-Contra hearings and Black Monday crash, it captured Yuppie anxiety about Reagan's economy collapsing.
Woods reportedly did actual cocaine to prepare, then spent years regretting it—method acting that bit back.
US
