‘Spiderhead’: the explanation of drugs in the Netflix movie (do they really exist?)

At the end of Netflix’s “Spiderhead”, the true intent behind Dr.’s drug experiment is explained. Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth), but because there are so many drugs being explored in the film, some questions arise, such as: what are they made of? And do they exist in real life?

The film, known in Spanish as “The Spider’s Head”, is based on the short story “Escape From Spiderhead”, written by George Saunders and published by “The New Yorker”.

The plot follows Dr. Steve Abnesti, who conducts a clinical trial of drugs that change emotions in a state-of-the-art prison, but things change when two of the inmates develop a special relationship.

The drugs are explained in Netflix “Spiderhead”

In prison, inmates wear a device on their lower back called the MobiPak, which draws different doses of drugs that are used to change their emotions.

Each drug has a specific color and affects a part of the patients’ sensitivity and intensifies what they feel. One of the drugs they place is N-40 or Luvactin, which makes people fall in love or feel very intense physical attraction and also perceive their reality as beautiful.

There is also the G-46 or the Laffodil, which makes the mood go up. The higher the doses, the more fun things become for the individual. I-16 or Darkenfloxx, which makes the user feel very sad and at very high levels can force the person to commit suicide.

Another is Verbaluce, which allows the user to speak more clearly and use a larger dictionary. And Phobica, which causes the user to feel a lot of fear and terror.

Finally, there is the B-6 or Obediex, which makes the user obedient. However, this drug has a drawback, because the patient can not obey if the order is contrary to something he loves.

Do Spiderhead Drugs Really Exist?

The drug Darkenfloxx, which can make a person extremely sad, does not exist in real life. The closest thing is drugs or substances that suppress the Central Nervous system that cause relaxation, are sedatives or cause sleep, such as alcohol, opiates or sedatives.

From the other spectrum, Laffodil, which makes people happy in the movie, could be compared to antidepressants that balance the chemicals in the brain and help improve mood, concentration and sleep. The most commonly prescribed are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

In the case of other drugs, they are not based or do not exist in real life, that is, there are no drugs that allow you to speak eloquently and fluently without problems, control people’s free will or make you feel down in love with other people.