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The Adderall Diaries

Play trailer 1:56 Poster for The Adderall Diaries R 2016 1h 27m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
26% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 25% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Suffering from writer's block, author Stephen Elliott (James Franco) reconnects with his estranged father (Ed Harris) while investigating the murder case of computer entrepreneur Hans Reiser (Christian Slater).
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The Adderall Diaries

The Adderall Diaries

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Critics Consensus

Stylistically overwrought and tedious, The Adderal Diaries aspires for profundity but instead feels like a shambolic class project thrown together right before it was due.

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Critics Reviews

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Rex Reed Observer 04/21/2016
1/4
Mr. Elliott's story is not helped by James Franco, who plays him with his usual smug catatonia. Go to Full Review
Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times 04/14/2016
"The Adderall Diaries" is a complex, absorbing, at times profound look at how we choose to remember our past. Go to Full Review
Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times 04/14/2016
All affect and no personality. Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com 09/01/2020
3.0/4.0
The Adderall Diaries is possessing of a unique, challenging vision. Go to Full Review
Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens 11/05/2019
[James Franco] shines, mesmerizing us... Smoldering with a questioning intensity...[he] excels with the raw edginess. Go to Full Review
Allison Rose FlickDirect 10/08/2019
2/5
With terrific source material, The Adderall Diaries should have been a deeply moving introspective look at various views of the same memories, but, sadly, falls short. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Blu B Jul 28 This is the worst type of drama...one that basically has no functioning story, just loose subplots that kind of form something for him writing a book. His brother (I think) feels forgotten about. The girlfriend feels like it goes nowhere. The actual book/lying about what he was writing feels forgotten about most of the time. The whole defending Slater for murder I genuinely have no freakin idea how that fits into anything whatsoever. And the actual thing with his Dad is probably the best story and does help a bit in the second half as most of it is focused on that. But still it doesn't excuse the fact there is basically no story here at all. The editing and pacing is truly terrible. Sometimes it cuts to dreamlike flashbacks that don't fit at all, make no sense, and feels completely incoherent at times. The music is boring, generic, and forgettable. Everything else isn't good. It's very dull, depressing to look at most of the time. None of the characters are that likeable. Franco is ok at best. Harris is good and probably the best acting wise during the final conflict with his son but that comes so late in the game the damage has been done. It's crazy how short this is, being an A24 production, and just how it's completely lacking in the most basic aspect of a core story. Skip This. Requiem for a Dream this isn't. See more Garrett P. @GarrettPog Jul 16 Some interesting/well-made scenes, but a slog of misery with ultimately no point. See more Kim W 04/28/2023 Love Stephen Elliott <3 two PrObLeMaTiC actors as leads but great film See more 01/02/2021 Two words: Amber Heard See more 12/10/2020 The Adderall Diaries si presenta come un dramma giudiziario nei primi minuti; salvo poi soffermarsi fin da subito sul personaggio di James Franco che diventa il centro della pellicola. Una volta compresi i disagi del protagonista, il film non si sviluppa, si limita a mostrare infiniti problemi senza nessuno scopo. Funziona davvero poco, compreso un finale sbrigativo. See more hardy c 10/15/2020 Coulda been, shoulda been. There is the makings of a good movie about memory, rationalization of bad decisions and alternate realities here, but the script, director and lead actor were not up to the task. You just kept wanting to know more about the protagonists, the father and son, but instead got hazy flashbacks and bitter recriminations. Amber Heard and her naked scenes were enough of reason to watch the screen for awhile but aside from her beauty, this sort of withered on the vine. See more Read all reviews
The Adderall Diaries

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Movie Info

Synopsis Suffering from writer's block, author Stephen Elliott (James Franco) reconnects with his estranged father (Ed Harris) while investigating the murder case of computer entrepreneur Hans Reiser (Christian Slater).
Director
Pamela Romanowsky
Producer
Vince Jolivette, James Franco, James Reach, Joseph McKelheer, Marni Zelnick
Screenwriter
Pamela Romanowsky
Distributor
A24
Production Co
Rabbit Bandini Productions, Windowseat Entertainment
Rating
R (Language Throughout|Drug Use|Sexuality|Some Aberrant Content|Some Disturbing Content)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 15, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.3K
Runtime
1h 27m
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