RECOVERY BOYS
FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY
(Producer + DP)
In the heart of America's opioid epidemic, four men attempt to reinvent their lives and mend broken relationships after years of drug abuse. Recovery Boys, from Academy Award nominated director Elaine McMillion Sheldon (Heroin(e)), is an intimate look at the strength, brotherhood, and courage that it takes to overcome addiction and lays bare the internal conflict of recovery. In an effort to break the cycle of generational addiction and trauma, the young men let go of painful pasts as they live in the present, and build a new community in a farming-based rehab. After rehab, they experience life's trials and tribulations sober, but struggle to find their place and purpose in an often unforgiving society. In today’s world, where shocking statistics about the opioid crisis make headlines daily, Recovery Boys gives a deeply personal look into the unseen lives of those working toward transformation.
Strikingly real, unyielding in its focus, honest to a fault, and offers outcomes that are never on solid ground…it’s a work of uncompromising art. It’s close to a masterpiece.”
REVIEWS
“Sensitive and life-affirming”
“Intimate, poignant, and raw, establishing Sheldon as one of the most vital documentary filmmakers at the moment, especially on the often misunderstood subject of addiction. The social impact of a film like this shouldn’t be understated.”
“Unearths moments of raw revelation that quietly highlight our shameful lack of effective help…a moving yet cautionary tale.”
“Set in the middle of this crisis, the film provides an exploration of male emotions will be refreshing to anyone who has grown accustomed to staid representations within popular culture.”
“Life has not been easy for any of the ‘recovery boys,’ but they approach their 18 months in rehab with so much integrity and determination that it’s impossible to not cheer for them while watching the film.”
“We are with them all the way in a cinematic proximity that develops into raw emotional intimacy by the end. The stakes are real; choices made lead to life or death. Forget our society’s current obsession with superheroes: this is the conflict of which powerful drama is made.”
“Essential viewing for all young men”
“A sober and unflinching glimpse into the heart of America’s opioid epidemic”
“The immediate social impression of Recovery Boys is tremendous.”
“There’s a tendency in politics to turn real misery into platitudes and abstractions; Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s documentary is the antidote.”