"Take Your Pills" Movie Review

At first glance, “Take Your Pills” sounds like the title for some over-dramatic Lifetime movie or the newest TLC show: basically, it doesn’t come off as the title of a serious documentary investigating the abuse of Adderall and other amphetamines. But this documentary explores the very real dangers of the newest performance-enhancer on college campuses across America: Adderall XR.

According to drugs.com, Adderall is a Substance-II drug used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The base of the drug is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.

In the Netflix original documentary, the directors interview people who have dealt directly with the drug, both users as well as professional doctors and experts on Adderall and its sister products, like Mydayis.

Through retro transition screens with facts and statistics sprinkled in, Netflix has created an informative and interesting method of educating today’s youth about how not all drugs are secretive nor illegal.

So why are college students and athletes alike using Adderall and other amphetamines to get a boost in a “hypercompetitive world”? Well, for the opposite reason that people with ADHD and ADD (attention deficit disorder) use them: to get a boost of energy.

Instead of chugging 5-Hour Energy or black coffee, college students are using Adderall to stay awake longer, focus harder and get the grades which before seemed unachievable. The real kicker is how open students are in their methods of obtaining these drugs.

According to a college senior referenced to as “Leigh,” students are not embarrassed or worried at all how it might look to take out a bottle of “addy” and give some to their seat partner.

“There’s a public Facebook group, like a classifieds, buying and selling anything,” Leigh said. “And people will put in there that they are selling 20 XR Adderall and not think they are drug dealing in a public forum.”

The documentary interviews a couple other college students who have dealt with and/or taken Adderall for either medical or recreational purposes. Finding people to interview wasn’t a huge problem for them since, according to the documentary, the United States diagnoses the most children with ADD/ADHD, around 11 percent, and most of them are medicated.

And, according to “Take Your Pills,” the use of Adderall is just as common in athletes as it is in the classroom. According to former NFL football player Eben Britton, the alternative to taking Adderall was to become unemployed due to his herniated disc and mounting health issues.

“Adderall had this enhancing effect on my life at that time,” Britton said. “It helped me in the meetings, film study, game review: it helped me dealing with the pain.”

A plethora of doctors and scientists who study stimulants like Adderall and its effects on the human brain and body are featured in the documentary, adding to the scientific information and unbiased accounts in the film.

I would rate this film a four point five out of five stars. Overall, “Take Your Pills” was an interesting, informative look into the newest wave of drugs and enhancements that are infiltrating our society. The film was well-directed and the unique, retro vibe of the transition screens and background music kept my attention throughout the entire movie. 

I would have given the film five stars had the producers chosen to interview more ethnically and culturally diverse subjects about their experiences taking the stimulant, but, other than that, I definitely recommend this movie to professors teaching psychology, and even pharmacy, courses.