Introduction

This drama focuses on the bleak prospects of young junkies struggling to survive in New York, which is depicted in a painful yet fresh way, and a woman’s desperate love for a man.
This raw depiction of young junkies struggling to stay alive was adapted for the screen by the Safdie Brothers (Benny and Joshua) based on a real-life account by the film's female lead, Arielle Holmes. Having kicked drugs and found salvation in cinema, Holmes' portrayal of herself as an addict is impressively true to life. Though the mundane existence Arielle and her friends lead as they wander around Manhattan reeks of despair, they seem unfazed. As befits any winner of the John Cassavetes Award, the Safdies are not afraid to infuse the proceedings with emotion and tension. And through their use of distinctive music and camerawork that blurs the line between the screen and the street, they embody a wholly unique world. This work is sure to propel the brothers, already an established part of the American indie film scene, to even greater heights. Co-starring Caleb Landry-Jones (X-Men: First Class, Byzantium) as Ilya, street legend Buddy Duress, and gore rap phenom Necro.