DRUGGY DRAMA
Gloria Bell
Sebastian Lelio’s remake of 2013’s Gloria, his Spanish-speaking movie set in Chile, stars Julianne Moore as the title character. Divorced with two kids out of the house and a job handling insurance claims, she enjoys going to bars to dance and occasionally picks up men. It’s Looking for Mr. Goodbar 42 years later. Gloria finds Arnold (John Turturro), but he’s got his own problems, so she tries to shake him, which is not so easy. After she turns down a vape pen from her friend Fiona (Jean Tripplehorn), a package of weed mysteriously shows up on her doorstep (it’s from the loud guy upstairs). Regular hits on well-rolled spliffs relax her during the tense relationship and help give her the resolve to move on. Prime, YouTube
DRUGGY DRAMA
Her Smell
Elisabeth Moss delivers a powerful performance as fictional rock star Becky Something who fronts the unfortunately named Something She. They often play at a club called Her Smell, hence the title. It’s a riot grrl movie featuring Becky, her band mates, a younger trio and rival of Becky’s, Zelda (Amber Heard). Recently separated from her manager/husband (Dan Stevens) and daughter, Becky’s despondence carries over to the stage and backstage, leading to highly erratic behavior. “Is she on something?” is the constant refrain. Becky isn’t seen popping pills, though she drinks. Bandmate Mari (Agness Deyn) does some spoons of coke. Alex Ross Perry drains every last ounce out of this tired rock-star-over-the-top formula. Prime, YouTube
