X
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
Summary The four-part docuseries directed by Erin Lee Carr looks into the cases against two Massachusetts drug lab chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, who used and stole drugs from evidence she was suppose to test or faked test results.
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
How to Fix a Drug Scandal
Season 1 Premiere: Apr 1, 2020
58
User Score
Mixed or Average
5.3
Where to Watch
Summary The four-part docuseries directed by Erin Lee Carr looks into the cases against two Massachusetts drug lab chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, who used and stole drugs from evidence she was suppose to test or faked test results.
Where to Watch
All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 6 Critic Reviews
58
33% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
50% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
17% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 6 Critic Reviews
58
33% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
50% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
17% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
The engrossing “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” might have been ripped from
“Law & Order’”—if the new four-part series weren’t a thrilling piece of nonfiction. It has the same crime-and-punishment arc as the old show, the same gift for animating legal minutiae, the same relentless forward motion. Plus, everything in it is true. And there are monsters.
Veers dangerously close to becoming cheesy and artificial. But the results of Farak and Dookhan’s actions is so fascinating, that we’re very interested in watching this until the end.
As in a number of Netflix docuseries, the thesis of How to Fix a Drug Scandal isn’t clearly presented early on, which means you’re often left with the feeling of trying to absorb a lot of narrative, information, and evidence, but not sure how it’s supposed to relate to the rest of the story, or what point it’s driving toward. ... Yet Carr’s thoroughness is unassailable.
“How to Fix a Drug Scandal” provokes dejected frustration and agitated awe in equal strides by showcasing the flawed humanity of those dedicated to upholding the law as well as those trapped beneath it. ... Its presentation, while enlightening, tastes stale and comes across as old-fashioned at points. For a film looking to combat the effigy of a perfect nation, “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” needed razor-sharp claws and a soul-shaking bark; but its final presentation is too sterile and toothless to impart an unforgettable impression.
The true-life tale of Farak, Dookhan, and the Massachusetts government could make for a compelling, investigative-drama feature film, or a tighter, more focused documentary, but How to Fix a Drug Scandal is adrift somewhere between the two. Your four hours would be better served combing through related Wikipedia pages and editorials from Reason, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone.
Perhaps this is simply a story better suited to a well-researched magazine article or a news segment, but after four hours of watching “How to Fix a Drug Scandal,” I still don’t really feel like I know it.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 4 User Ratings
5.3
50% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
25% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
25% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 4 User Ratings
5.3
50% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
25% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
25% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
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Production Company:
- Jigsaw Productions
- RhoPro
Initial Release Date: Apr 1, 2020
Number of seasons: 1 Season
Rating: TV-MA
Genres:
