It’s not uncommon for films to take on important issues and mirror the time in which they are made. Tackling tough subjects that loom over our culture is nothing new for artists and performers; it provides an opportunity to make sense of conflict and, hopefully, better understand it by bringing it into the spotlight.

Whether it be a classic post-Vietnam war movie like The Deer Hunter, which echoed the dark and grim realities of battle that followed many American soldiers back home, or the more recent Get Out, which highlights modern racial tensions in America, each one has something important to say. All you have to do as a storyteller to find inspiration is look around you, and that’s exactly what the local filmmakers of the new short film, What Weighs Us Down, did.

One of the most crucial topics of today is addiction and the current opioid epidemic that is plaguing our country, swallowing up more lives each and every year. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there were 1,979 opioid-related deaths in the state in 2016. Of those, 1,465 were confirmed deaths. The number of fatalities has been rising since the year 2000, when 355 deaths were confirmed for that entire calendar year in the Bay State. Nationally, there were more than 30,000 opioid-related deaths across the country in 2015, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, with more than 12,000 of these overdose deaths related to heroin in particular.

It’s hard not to be aware of this problem or not know someone who is struggling with it. One such person is Worcester actor Adam Masnyk, star of 2016’s coming of age film That’s E. After finishing the story of a young man working in a comic book shop, Masnyk wanted to take on something with more relevance and a deeper meaning. He and Boston director/writer Bobby Thompson threw around some ideas before coming up with What Weighs Us Down.

“Addiction is a huge thing going on right now, and unfortunately, it’s overlooked by many and not understood by even more, so I wanted my next project after That’s E to be something of importance,” said Masnyk. “And with knowing a ton of people who struggled and overcame addictions, I thought this was the perfect project to take on.”

Filmed mostly in and around the Boston and Worcester areas, and co-produced by Masnyk’s Another Theory production group and Thompson’s Comfort Food Films, What Weighs Us Down is the story of a young man named Josh (played by Masnyk), who has essentially lost everything and, as a result, begins to head down a dark road hampered by addiction. But this is not a two-dimensional story about addiction. Aspects of loneliness, mental illness, family dysfunction and marginalization are also included, Thompson noted.

Creating a story involving such subject matter proved to be difficult for the producers. Besides the usual obstacles of budget, resources and scheduling, which any self-funded indie filmmaker must face, there was an added pressure to be authentic and real in the approach and presentation. For his part, Masnyk dedicated himself to the role by conducting research and taking on elements of method acting.

“I spoke to many addicts or former addicts, and I spent a good amount of time with a couple of them trying to just learn the behavior,” said Masnyk. “I have many good friends who were once addicts, whether it was heroin or another drug, and I wanted their truthful input. It was important to me on a personal level to try and create this character in an accurate light.”

Physically and mentally, Masnyk said, the role of Josh took its toll on him. Normally someone who works out and eats relatively healthy, Masnyk gave up going to the gym and “destroyed (his) body image.” As for his thought process for Josh, Masnyk admits to surrendering himself to the darker regions of the mind, where he imagined Josh lived.

“I definitely got myself into a dark and messed up head space,” said Masnyk. “It was tough at times to be in such a dark and depressing place and then hear ‘cut’ and have to try to get back to a normal head space. I remember there were many moments where we would be done shooting for the rest of the day and I would be in this depressed state, and I would have to tell myself that it’s just all make believe and try to snap myself out of it.”

Thompson matched Masnyk’s dedication to his role by following a stellar vision of his own behind the camera that was respectful to the topic and delivered an eye-opening character study. In order to avoid a cliché narrative that would depict the film’s events in a simplistic and judgmental light, Thompson made an effort to reach for something greater.

“I think it’s the job of the narrative filmmaker to show life reflected back to anyone watching,” Thompson said. “Hopefully, the film is delivered in an artful enough way that there is some beauty to be found in recognizing some aspect of the human condition in the work. If someone were to find this slice of a character’s life touching or thought-provoking and experience an emotion or several emotions in a real way … that would be nice. To touch people in any way is the ultimate goal.”

What Weighs Us Down will premiere June 3 at the Elm Draft House Cinema in Millbury. It will be a double-shot event, with That’s E also having its first public screening. The cost to attend the event will be $10, and the proceeds will be used to send What Weighs Us Down out to the film festival circuit.

For more information, visit facebook.com/AnotherTheoryProductions.

Jason Savio