Cuban Actor Andy García Stands Out in New Netflix Film

November 2, 2023

Andy García returns to the screen as part of the cast of a newly released Netflix film, "Pain Hustlers" ("El negocio del dolor," according to its translation in Spain).

The film premiered on the platform on October 27th and despite the various criticisms received following its release, García's performance has once again stood out as he portrays characters of great caliber.

Now, the Cuban-American actor takes on the role of Dr. Jack Neel, founder of Zanna Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company caught up in a criminal plot linked to painkiller addiction.

According to Esquire magazine, "Pain Hustlers" is "another story of a company that underestimated the addictive nature of its painkillers. Although it is somewhat more comedic than its predecessors, in essence it follows the same angle."

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However, they note that its filmmakers took some important creative liberties in the process, since "the pharmaceutical scandal that unfolds in the new film did not happen exactly as it did in real life, which means that viewers may find it useful to distinguish what really happened."

The film is inspired by a 2018 article published in New York Times Magazine that writer Evan Hughes later turned into a non-fiction book titled "Pain Hustlers."

These two pieces spoke about an emerging pharmaceutical company called Insys that marketed a fentanyl spray for pain treatment and was founded by billionaire Dr. John Kapoor, who very likely inspired Jack Neel, Andy García's character in the Netflix film.

Specialized international media outlets add that "Pain Hustlers" is "a highly fictional work," however they emphasize that many of the characters share roles in the story similar to those in the real story.

Alongside García, other renowned artists share roles such as Chris Evans, Emily Blunt and Catherine O'Hara, all with standout performances in this plot that has managed to keep audiences in suspense from its opening minutes.

Blunt plays Liza Drake, a character that blends many characters from the original article, while Evans plays Pete Brenner, connected to the company's real-life sales director, Alec Burlakoff.

The film also renames the Insys company and its drug, Subsys. Now the audiovisual tells of a company called Zanna that sells a drug named Lonafen.