CinemaCloud
DramaCrime

Drugstore Cowboy

"Sooner or later, someone will pay the price."

User Score602 votes
71%7.1/10
Release1989
Runtime1H 42M
LanguageEnglish
StatusReleased

Synopsis

Portland, Oregon, 1971. Bob Hughes is the charismatic leader of a peculiar quartet, formed by his wife, Dianne, and another couple, Rick and Nadine, who skillfully steal from drugstores and hospital medicine cabinets in order to appease their insatiable need for drugs. But neither fun nor luck last forever.

Principal Cast8

Full Cast & Crew (66)

Media35

Backdrops

Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 1
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 2
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 3
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 4
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 5
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 6
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 7
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 8
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 9
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 10
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 11
Drugstore Cowboy backdrop 12

Posters

Drugstore Cowboy poster 1
Drugstore Cowboy poster 2
Drugstore Cowboy poster 3
Drugstore Cowboy poster 4
Drugstore Cowboy poster 5
Drugstore Cowboy poster 6
Drugstore Cowboy poster 7
Drugstore Cowboy poster 8

Director

Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant

Director →

Trailer

Box Office

Budget$3M
Revenue$5M

Certification

R

Keywords

drug abusesupport group1970sdrug addictionjunkieportland, oregondrugstoregroup therapymelancholydrug stealingburglarsopioid use disorderhopefultragic

Where to Watch

Stream

Criterion ChannelCriterion Channel

Rent

Amazon VideoAmazon Video
Apple TV StoreApple TV Store
Google Play MoviesGoogle Play Movies
YouTubeYouTube
Fandango At HomeFandango At Home

Buy

Amazon VideoAmazon Video
Apple TV StoreApple TV Store
Google Play MoviesGoogle Play Movies
YouTubeYouTube
Fandango At HomeFandango At Home

External Links

Reviews1

CinemaSerf7/10

I reckon this might be the best effort I’ve seen from Matt Dillon as his “Bob” leads a small group of drug addicts who have finessed the art of stealing prescription medication from pharmacies and hospitals alike before retreating to a motel room and an amiable haze of booze and sex. He’s accompanied on his adventures by his wife “Dianne” (Kelly Lynch) and his understudy “Rick” (James Le Gros) and his gal “Nadine” (Heather Graham) who is very, very, green. Of course, their antics have attracted the attention of law enforcement and wily detective “Gentry” (James Remar) is soon on their trail. Aware that they might be living on borrowed time, they flee their usual stomping grounds until a tragedy befalls the group and that has quite a profound effect on a “Bob” who may now be having his own Damascene moment. Is it all going to be too little, too late, though? Both the convincing Lynch and Dillon manage to imbue their roles with quite a degree of personality here; their characterisations are gritty and plausible and well supported by both the others and by a production design that offers us an uncomfortable glimpse into the lives of these (and potentially other) addicts. There’s plenty of pith from the dialogue and even though what they are doing is destructive and illegal, they still manage to illicit a degree of sympathy as things unfold in an almost pitiable fashion. It also takes quite a potent look at societal attitudes to addiction and ask questions about just what solutions we might suggest instead of incarceration and/or state imposed cold turkey.

Nov 9, 2025

Similar Movies

Recommended

Countries:United States of America
Production:Avenue Pictures