The perilous odyssey of a small-time drug dealer is explored with acute emotional clarity in Daniel Blake Schwartz’s debut feature Cotton Fever, a portrait of several characters living on the edge in their desperate, daily quest to survive the throes of addiction.

After a failed attempt at treatment, James (Kyle Gallner, in a deeply felt performance) slips back into using and dealing despite his girlfriend Dina’s (Sosie Bacon) pregnancy and the looming responsibilities of fatherhood. Meanwhile, Dina’s hopes of stability are upended by her own relapse, pulling her further from her desired life. Around them, others come and go in fleeting moments, revealing the complexities of survival and care in their small corner of the world. Unflinching yet contemplative, this tapestry lays bare the realities of substance abuse and the nonlinear cadence of recovery, finding moments of connection between those facing instability. Drawing on his own experience, Schwartz captures the interiority of addiction across multiple characters with a striking blend of grit, insight and, above all, compassion.—Dominique O’Neil