There are some movies that, for better or worse, stick with us forever. Requiem for a Dream — a raw and traumatic exploration of addiction that happens to be one of the best movies of the 2000s — is definitely one of those. The psychological drama that was adapted from the equally devastating book is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and after reading Jared Leto’s tribute, my pupils are dilating over how fast time has flown.
Requiem for a Dream is one of those films that you remember exactly where you were the first time you watched it (and for many, that first time is the only time). Jared Leto, who stars as Harry Goldfarb, posted a touching video on Instagram to mark the film’s quarter-century milestone, as you can see below:
The clip shows Harry and his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) high out of their minds, expressing their love for one another as they lay head-to-head. The camera spins as it zooms out of the shot, showing the couple’s literal downward spiral. Jared Leto says in the caption that he knew the Darren Aronofsky’s film was going to have an impact, writing:
We are celebrating 25 years of Requiem for a Dream today. When I read the script, I knew this film was going to be special… it left its mark on me.🙏
Jared Leto isn’t the only one who has remained affected by the movie for 25 years. His co-star Marlon Wayans, who played his best friend and fellow heroin addict/dealer Tyrone, has also spoken recently about Requiem for a Dream, which is just one of the sexually explicit movies you can stream on Peacock.
Marlon Wayans noted the 25th anniversary of the film while promoting his latest psychological nightmare, HIM, which he says isn’t nearly as damaging as the 2000 book-to-screen adaptation. In fact, Wayans says we can count him as one of the one-and-dones, as he says he will never watch Requiem for a Dream again.
I understand this point of view, especially Marlon Wayans’ suggestion that it might be the most powerful “Don’t Do Drugs” PSA ever created. However, personally, I have partaken in multiple rewatches of this film, and I was shocked to realize that 25 years had passed.
That’s a long time for as often as this film still gets quoted in my household. Ellen Burstyn’s reading of, “I’m old!” from her epic monologue as Harry’s mom Sara Goldfarb has gotten particularly heavy use as the years have passed, as well as Harry’s preceding accusation: “You on uppahs?” We may also be known to break into a Tappy Tibbons chant anytime our kids mention juice, and I fear they may think “Join Us In Creating Excellence” is a more universal acronym than it is.
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It certainly says something about a movie when it can still elicit a reaction in people who may have only seen it once, decades ago, proving Jared Leto’s instincts were definitely right when he saw something special in the Requiem for a Dream script. If you want to dive back into that nightmarish world in honor of its 25th anniversary, the movie is available to stream with a Peacock subscription.