Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A high school basketball player’s life turns upside down after free-falling into the harrowing world of drug addiction.
Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a raw, electrifying performance as Jim Carroll that elevates the film considerably above its somewhat conventional addiction-spiral narrative arc. The plot follows a fairly familiar descent-and-attempted-redemption structure that doesn't stray far from genre expectations, and the ending feels abrupt and somewhat unsatisfying given the intensity of what precedes it. Cinematography is competent and gritty but not particularly distinctive for a mid-90s New York indie drama. Novelty is moderate — the memoir source material and DiCaprio's committed work give it a specific voice, but the addiction drama beats are well-trodden. The film's lasting reputation rests almost entirely on its lead performance.