Premieres Monday, Sept. 22, 2025 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / KPBS+
POV spotlights “The Bitter Pill”, a powerful chronicle of justice, accountability, and resilience, directed by Clay Tweel. The film follows the charismatic West Virginian plaintiff attorney Paul Farrell, Jr., as he wages a legal war against some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies in a landmark battle fueled by personal stakes.
The film is set in Farrell’s hometown, Cabell County, West Virginia, a community at the epicenter of America’s opioid epidemic, where 20% of babies are born addicted to opioids. Farrell is determined to recover damages, bring justice to his neighbors, and rebuild a community ravaged by corporate greed. As his groundbreaking legal strategy gains national attention, the case escalates into the largest civil litigation in U.S. history. Through courtroom drama and behind-the-scenes access, director Clay Tweel’s “The Bitter Pill” captures the human cost and high stakes of a community’s battle against systemic failure.
Filmmaker Quote: …