IN her latest cinematic endeavour, Emily Blunt is vigorously climbing the ladder of success. Netflix unveiled the inaugural trailer for Pain Hustlers, starring Blunt and Chris Evans as pharmaceutical sales representatives embroiled in a narrative grounded in real-life events.

Blunt assumes the role of Liza Drake, a single mother who finds herself “at the end of her rope” after losing her job.

A serendipitous encounter with pharmaceutical sales representative Pete Brenner (played by Evans) propels her towards economic prosperity but on morally dubious terrain as she becomes ensnared in a perilous racketeering scheme.

The trailer tantalises viewers with glimpses of Liza and Pete’s lavish, hedonistic lifestyle, accompanied by trigger warnings cautioning that Pain Hustlers may trigger heightened energy, euphoria, paranoia, aggression and greed.

David Yates, renowned for directing the final four Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts spinoffs, takes the helm as director of Pain Hustlers. The screenplay, penned by Wells Tower, draws inspiration from Evan Hughes’s 2018 article in The New York Times Magazine and his subsequent book, Pain Hustlers: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup.

In addition to the dynamic duo of Blunt and Evans, the film boasts a star-studded ensemble, including Catherine O’Hara, Chloe Coleman, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James, Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, Willie Raysor and Andy Garcia.

Pain Hustlers will make its debut in select theatres on Oct 20 before streaming on Netflix beginning Oct 27, promising an intense exploration of the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by those caught in the opioid industry’s web.