Better Things by Duane Hopkins

Five different stories with one link connecting them: how love can be painful. This is the general plot of Better Things, written and directed by Duane Hopkins. Drug use also appears as a common point between some of the characters. Amongst the other movies that have come up with this same theme, Better Things shows how young people use drugs as a way of running away from painful feelings.

The film deals with the dark side of drugs, showing that the only end for the addicted is more depression and even death. Two brothers take cocaine: one because he doesn’t have the love of a girl and the other because he misses his girlfriend. A teenager who just lost his girl to a fatal overdose continues using heroin. Everything starts and ends with the word “nothing”, which can reflect the way these people live their lives.

The routine of an elderly couple brings to the fore yet another subject: how we enjoy or waste time during our lives. People’s boredom is clearly shown, with long shots of the same scene and slow changes in the action. They all also have a gloomily-set features, expressing loneliness and hope for “better things”. It’s a film with many possibilities of interpretation and effects on the audience.

Estela Cotes