Pretty shocked at how bad this is

I saw three of Alison Klayman’s documentaries prior to “Take Your Pills,” starting with “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” then “The 100 Years Show,” and recently the well done doc on the US presidential election, “11/8/16.” All three were balanced and interesting documentaries. She was also involved with the highly acclaimed “Hooligans Sparrow.”

So—what in tarnation was this goofy, lopsided, spastic, and shallow take on the current state (and history) of ADHD medication in American culture?

If your average American teenager (who doesn’t know much about ADHD and/or stimulant medication) were to sit down to watch this, the number one thing they’d probably take away is, “Wow... I need to try this.” In fact, I don’t think the term “ADHD” was even mentioned until over half an hour in.

I don’t think the director intended this film to be a camouflaged advertisement for Adderall or Ritalin— but the fact that it very nearly is— speaks to the total lack of control over the story/thesis (if there is one), and all the meandering, shallow interviews that are supposed to support it.

The haphazard and in-your-face graphics that are used liberally throughout the film don’t work to serve the story— rather, they make the story feel as if it’s told *by* Adderall junkies, instead of *about* people who use or misuse stimulant medication.

No director hits every project out of the park, but this is such a wobbly sensationalized mess that it’s hard to imagine Klayman having anything to do with it at all.