A harrowing reminder of the consequences of drug addiction
Molly is a young woman who has a history of drug addiction and theft. She comes to her mother’s house asking for help, but Deb, Molly’s mother, is hesitant to let her back into the home because of Molly’s past. Four Good Days tells the story of Molly’s journey to overcome her addiction and find redemption. ..
Deb’s mother agrees to help her stay off drugs for four days while she attends a detox clinic.
Deb is suspicious of Molly because she keeps calling her phone and when Molly is left alone, Deb is always worried that her daughter might be stealing or using again.
This movie is about a mother who struggles with her son’s addiction and the ways in which it affects her life. It will resonate with mothers who have experienced addiction themselves, as well as those who have watched their friends or family members struggle with addiction.
While Four Good Days is a movie that will strike a chord with some, it’s not as strong as it could have been. The biggest problem is the sense of familiarity as there have been a large number of other drug addiction dramas before this one. Beautiful Boy and Ben Is Back are two fairly recent examples but there have been lots of others in cinema’s past. This isn’t to say we don’t need another movie to remind us of the plight faced by people like Molly and Deb but Four Good Days would have been better if it had something new to say. ..
The other issue is the way the movie plays out on screen. While there are several powerful moments, including one scene where Molly reunites with her two young children, there are plenty of other scenes that fail to make the emotional impact that they were probably supposed to. This is partly because they are rushed through to get to the climax of the movie, which itself fails to make much of an impact because several key moments beforehand are underexplored. ..
Despite these flaws, the acting can be faulted. Kunis and Close do much to elevate the movie with their strong performances and there are times in the movie when you will feel for both of them. They are totally believable as mother and daughter so even when the script makes some dodgy missteps, the two women are able to keep us invested in the lives of their characters as they embark on an emotional rollercoaster together.
Does Molly manage to stay clean for four days? That would be telling but like her mother, you will be willing her to succeed. There are obstacles in Molly’s way, such as her ex-husband who wants her to procure painkillers for him. She also ventures into a trap house in search of a girl who has called her for help, a place that no recovering addict wants to be as it’s populated by people shooting up and trying to sell drugs to others. When faced with such situations, Molly’s attempts to stay clean are compromised, but as to whether or not she overcomes them or not, you will have to see the movie for yourself or read our Ending Explained article. ..
Despite its flaws, “Four Good Days” manages to humanize Molly and other addicts, which can still be commended. Many people vilify drug addicts without knowing anything about their backgrounds or personal journeys, so despite the familiarity of movies like “Four Good Days”, more need to be put on screen to illustrate the truth about addiction and the struggles faced by addicts. As I suggested, a little more originally wouldn’t go amiss so as to maintain audience interest but at least this movie doesn’t patronize its subjects or their dilemmas. ..
Four Good Days is a movie about addiction and its consequences. It’s not as daring or impactful as it could have been, but the two central performances make up for it. The screenplay is formulaic, but the emotional power of the story makes up for it.
On the fourth day of the month, things were looking up for the small business owner. She had been able to get a new customer, and her profits were up. But on that day, something went wrong. The customer didn’t show up, and the business was in a state of disarray. What could have caused this?
