Requiem for a Dream

Requiem for a Dream (2000) — watch online on iFILM: Darren Aronofsky's unflinching drama based on Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1978 novel, shot in Coney Island on a $4.5 million budget. Aronofsky built a visual grammar of addiction — rapid montage, split-screen, extreme close-ups — that makes you feel the pull of craving rather than simply observe it.

Four people, four collapsing dreams. Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) is a Brighton Beach widow convinced she'll appear on a television game show; the diet pills she starts taking gradually take over her mind. Her son Harry (Jared Leto) and his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) deal heroin with plans for a fashion boutique, until the supply dries up. Harry's friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) is trying to hold the operation together. Each one hits bottom in a different way.

Composer Clint Mansell wrote "Lux Aeterna" for the Kronos Quartet — now one of the most recognized film scores ever recorded. Ellen Burstyn earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film was initially slapped with an NC-17 rating and released unrated. Stream Requiem for a Dream (2000) online on iFILM — 102 minutes that do not let go.