Better known for his acting roles, Bryan Greenberg (Prime 2005, Friends with Benefits 2011) turns his hand to directing for his feature debut Junction.
Released on January 26, 2024 in theaters and On Demand through VMI Releasing, Junction looks to tackle the opioid crisis and was inspired by Greenberg’s own struggle with Oxycontin, after he was prescribed the drug following a routine surgery. This in mind, it tells the story of the modern opioid crisis from the perspective of three different characters. There is Doctor Mary (Ashley Madekwe: Cassandra’s Dream 2007, The Strays 2023) who is torn between the effect of the drugs she is prescribing to her patients and the extra money it brings her practice. There is CEO executive Lawrence (Griffin Dunne: An American Werewolf in London 1981, Who’s That Girl 1987) and his ambitious son Jacob (Ryan Eggold: BlacKkKlansman 2018, Never Rarely Sometimes Always 2020) who run one of the drug companies that produce and market the drug. And finally, Greenberg himself plays Michael; a restaurant owner who is addicted to Oxy and who is in a desperate search for someone to refill his prescription.
The three tiered approach to telling this story works really well and allows the audience to consider the opioid crisis from several points of view. It shows that the problems of opioids and opioid prescriptions are infinitely complex and that there are no simple answers. Using three characters’ viewpoints also means that the film never gets too stagnant.
Although the audience may not necessarily like the characters, especially the corporate characters, they do provoke interest. Michael’s story is particularly interesting and shows the more human side of how these drugs affect people, as both his work life and family life fall apart.
Whilst the three way storytelling works well for the most part, there are several scenes that do feel superfluous. At times there is the slight feeling that the film has been stretched somewhat to a feature length running time or perhaps that the dialogue could have been tightened. However, considering that Greenberg wrote, directed and produced the film, as well as starring in it – it is understandable that he wanted to include as much as possible.
The fact that Junction was inspired by his own background with OxyContin does give the film a more weighty feeling. This is obviously an issue close to Greenberg’s heart. Recently there seems to have been a slew of films on the same subject and Junction joins an interesting and thought provoking sub-genre.
Junction may not necessarily be the best film thus far on the opioid crisis, but it makes its own impact due to the personal experience of its director and his passion to explore the moral complexity of the drug. Overall, Junction marks a promising debut from Greenberg, and it will be really interesting to see what his sophomore film will bring. That is why Cryptic Rock gives it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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