Makes us stronger.
Director: Brian Goodman
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Amanda Peet, Donnie Wahlberg
Based on events from director Brian Goodman’s life, What doesn’t kill you follows the lives of Brian (Ruffalo) and Paulie (Hawke) – two lifelong friends who grew up like brothers on the gritty streets of south Boston.
Starting out as street thugs, their crimes grow increasingly more serious until they eventually fall under the control of organised crime boss Pat Kelly (Goodman).
As Brian becomes lost in a haze of drugs and jobs, he consistently disappoints his loyal wife (Peet) and their two sons. Torn between the desire to be a good husband and the lure of easy money, Brian must make the hardest decision of his life.
What doesn’t kill you is an engrossing, gritty, sharply written and well-acted drama, with a realism that we don’t often see in crime dramas, and that can only have come from someone who actually lived through it themselves.
If you’re looking for a brutally honest, achingly realistic, and emotionally compelling look at the other side of petty crime, then look no further.
Genre: Crime | Drama
Age Restriction: Rated R for language, drug use, some violence and brief sexuality.
Runtime: 100 min
