Chrissy Metz Stars in Berlin Drug Addiction Drama ‘Stay Awake’

Chrissy Metz, the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated star of “This Is Us,” stars alongside “It” actor Wyatt Oleff and Fin Argus in Jamie Sisley’s drama “Keep Awake,” which premieres on the Berlin Movie Competition this week.

The characteristic — which relies on Sisley’s 2015 brief movie of the identical identify — facilities on brothers Ethan (Oleff) and Derek (Argus), who’re attempting their finest to navigate the pressures of teenage life whereas tending to their mom’s (Metz) debilitating prescription drug dependancy.

Based mostly on Sisley’s expertise rising up in small-town America, “Keep Awake” is billed as “a private exploration of the curler coaster journey that households go on whereas attempting to assist their family members battle a illness that impacts tens of millions day-after-day.”

In an unique clip shared with Selection, the 2 brothers are proven arguing concerning the cash wanted to pay for his or her mom’s rehabilitation therapy. The subject material is particularly resonant given the current illustration of America’s drug disaster on display in exhibits comparable to Hulu’s “Dopesick.”

“The themes and characters in ‘Keep Awake’ imply the world to me since they’re primarily based on my childhood. My mother has fought an dependancy to pharmaceuticals and opioids for many of her life,” stated Sisley. “As teenagers, my brother and I attempted our greatest to help her by relapses, cycle her by therapy facilities, and encourage her to hunt out a sober way of life.

“After I first began watching movies about dependancy, I noticed that almost all have been from the viewpoint of the addict,” added the director. “One of many largest causes I wished to make ‘Keep Awake’ was to supply another POV to dependancy — the curler coaster journey that caretakers go on whereas serving to somebody they love by their illness. In some ways, this movie is a love letter to the caretaker.”

“Keep Awake” has its world premiere in Berlin on Saturday (Feb. 12). WME is representing gross sales globally.

Watch an unique clip from the movie beneath:

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