Review of Requiem for a Dream (2000) by Alexander N — 18 Sep 2013

It can be effectively argued that Requiem for a Dream works too well, is too effective, and by extension, is nearly impossible to watch. Certainly there's no emotional appeal here; the film is a downer in every sense of the word as it grates on the audience that cannot help but take the fall with each character as their lives go from oddly fascinating to downright repulsive in what seems like the blink of an eye or, in this case, the popping of a pill or the prick of a needle.

Nevertheless, Requiem for a Dream is required viewing for most any audience of an appropriate age and maturity level that can take the film to heart and understand exactly what it's putting on display.

It's the cinematic equivalent of touching a hot stove; it's worth experiencing for the life lesson and is something that will in some way stay with each and every viewer that dares absorb what it has to offer.

Not a movie for the timid but exactly the sort of film that needs to be seen, Requiem for a Dream is the stuff of nightmares, but better to see it on-screen and in a safe environment than to learn its lessons the hard way.