The 2000 psychological drama Requiem for a Dream hit Paramount+ this weekend, and movie buffs are getting reacquainted with it already. The movie was co-written and directed by Darren Aronofsky and stars Jared Leto as an ambitious heroin addict named Harry Goldfarb. It was added to Paramount+ on Friday, March 1 and is streaming now for subscribers.
Requiem for a Dream was a hit at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and a critical success when it premiered, but it did not do well at the box office. History has definitely been kind to this movie, however, so it’s worth checking out or revisiting while it’s on a subscription-based streaming service. It is an adaptation of a novel by Hubert Selby Jr., who also co-wrote the screenplay with Aronofsky. It was filmed in Brooklyn, New York where the story takes place, and its cast also includes Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans.
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Requiem for a Dream focuses mostly on Sara Goldfarb (Burstyn) and her son Harry (Leto), who live in Brighton Beach and rely heavily on their vices. Sara, a widow, devotes much of her time to watching TV while Harry is a heroin user and dealer. He and Connelly and Wayans play his friends Marion and Tyrone, both of whom are also heroin addicts but aspire to change their lives with the money they make from dealing drugs. Harry’s attitude begins to change when he sees his mother using prescription amphetamines. Sara gets an invitation to appear on her favorite game show and seeks out the drug to lose weight for the occasion.
The story follows all four characters as they fall deeper into their vices and lose sight of their goals. The movie is undeniably dark and melodramatic, though critics felt that it had important points to make. Since Selby’s novel was published in 1978 and the movie was written in 2000, it is also considered a generational bridge for the writing of the era.
Requiem for a Dream earned just over $7 million at the box office when it was released, recouping its $4 million production budget but not other expenses such as advertising. It struggled in part because it was originally given an MPAA rating of NC-17. Cuts had to be made to get an R-rated version into theaters.
The R-rated version of Requiem for a Dream is streaming now on Paramount+. The original cut is only available by rental or purchase on DVD or on PVOD platforms. Selby’s novel is available in print or digital formats.
