In Karin Jurschick’s Playing God, a world class doctor who became involved in the life of drugs and lost everything he had, until he was offered a job, being a medic for his drug dealers. Before seeing this movie, I imagined the title to mean something completely different, not knowing the plot of the movie, but after seeing it, my original opinions and predictions changed, not expecting it to be about a doctor and so heavily dealing with drugs.

After seeing the movie for the first time, my first impressions were simply many questions, such as did the antagonist live? Is he getting his doctor’s license back? Is he dating that girl? Or is there even a second movie? To me, a strong point of the movie is the journey the main character takes, starting out high as a successful doctor, then losing his doctors license after performing surgery under the influence, to hitting rock bottom with a new drug addiction, finding new friendships with unlikely people, to finally beating his addiction.

First, the main character is shown to be a high level, popular, and almost cocky doctor, until he tried operating on a patient under the influence of narcotics, taking the patient’s life. Obviously losing his license, he spends a bit of time wasting his life, getting high everyday, until he’s faced with the opportunity to save a criminal at a bar. Being the only person able to save him, he acts quickly and calmly, saving the man’s life, finding unlikely friendships with a girl and the most popular drug dealer of his city.

Later being approached by the police, he’s given the difficult task of apprehending and getting the drug dealer, as well as beating his addiction to all the drugs he’s being supplied. Fulfilling the hero’s journey at the end, the movie goes full circle and leaves everything very well.

There isn’t anything I’d change about this movie, except that the criminal introduction seems poorly explained. After the initial movie introduction, they’re just there without much explanation to go with it.

Overall, this is a fantastic movie with highs and lows, also including fantastic character development from the point of view of a doctor, battling a drug addiction. I would rate this movie 8.5 out of 10 and would recommend this to anyone who likes captivating, in depth movies.