Inheritance, a documentary from Matt Moyer and Amy Toensing, explores the ways that addiction affects generations. The film focuses on Curtis from the ages of 12 to 18, as he grows up in a small rural town on the edge of the Ohio River.

The film introduces sweet Curtis and his younger siblings, who despite their young ages are all too aware of their stark reality. Curtis mentions memories of his awareness of his father’s drug use, as well as feeling numb to the knowledge of these issues. While the film focuses a lot on Curtis, we’re introduced to several generations of his extended family (cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents, and great grandparents), all who are dealing with their own struggles with addiction. It is obvious that there is a lot of love in the family, we see moments of playfulness, smiles, and even hope. However, past traumas, unending poverty, and the relentlessness of the opioid epidemic has gripped the family for generations.

Tragedy has followed Curtis’ family for generations, but Curtis seems to be a beacon of hope for the family, who believes he can do better. As the film progresses, we learn of other family members, some much more briefly than others. The film delves quite deeply into Curtis’ cousin, J.P., as well as his grandparents and great-grandparents. While Curtis spends a lot of his time with his grandparents, J.P. is sort of a parallel to Curtis, who spent a lot of time with his own grandparents (Curtis’ great-grandparents.) Family members mention how much Curtis reminds them of J.P. growing up, however, he eventually became addicted to drugs. While we meet J.P. sober, utilizing religion as a means of hope, he ultimately falls victim to addiction once again. With the overwhelming struggles the family faces, you can’t help but wonder if Curtis will make it through.

As we witness Curtis growing, there is a sense of disappointment as we see life doesn’t seem to improve for the family. As a viewer, I was rooting for everyone to do better, but I can empathize with how hard life has been on them. Balancing so many individual stories can seem like a huge feat to overcome, but Moyer and Toensing weaved all of this together successfully. While I am interested in learning more about each family member, I think what was presented was profound and moving. Although my childhood was nothing as extreme as Curtis’, I could relate to that feeling of hopefulness you have growing up (such as when Curtis talks about making a lot of money and having his grandma live with him), but life of course, is not that simple. While Curtis’ future seems uncertain by the film’s finale, there is still the sense of hope that love brings.

Inheritance is an intimate look at the ways that generational trauma, poverty, and addiction can shape a person’s life. It is moving film that reminds us of parts of the world that often times go unnoticed. The title of the film is definitely fitting; it is true that we inherit so much from our families, whether that be good or bad.

We give Inheritance a 3.5/5.