White Noise on Netflix: Is Dylar a real drug?

We’ve made it to the final days of 2022, and we’re still getting new acclaimed movies to watch right until the end. White Noise, the latest dark comedy from talented filmmaker Noah Baumbach, has just made its premiere on Netflix, and we’re sure it’ll be a popular one with viewers. The movie stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig as a married couple in the 1980s and is based on the book of the same name by Don DeLillo. As we look ahead to the big award ceremonies, White Noise should definitely be on your watch list!

Spoilers ahead for White Noise.

If you’ve already watched the film on Netflix or in theaters, chances are you might be wondering what elements of the story are based on real-life events and what’s made up. White Noise follows a family as they survive something called the Airborne Toxic Event after a train accident causes chemicals to contaminate the air. Parents Jack (Driver) and Babette (Gerwig) also have troubles in their marriage after Jack discovers his wife is taking a drug called Dylar behind his back.

As we learn from Babette, she participated in an experiment to try out a drug that is supposed to remove your fear of dying. Throughout the film, the subject of death comes up several times, with the married couple saying neither of them wants to die second because they cannot imagine life without the other. Dylar doesn’t really work, however, and as it turns out, it can actually cause very strange behavior.

Is the drug Dylar from White Noise real?

If you’re like me, you were probably wondering the whole time while watching White Noise whether or not Dylar was actually a real drug in the 1980s. Well, after some research, it looks like the drug is completely fictional and made it up by the author of the book, Don DeLillo.

Of course, there have been plenty of drugs experimented with throughout the years that never made it to pharmacies, and one could argue anxiety medications could, theoretically, remove or decrease one’s fear of death in some instances. However, Dylar itself is not real and to our knowledge never was.

White Noise is probably Noah Baumbach’s most ambitious film to date, and though it’s not perfect, it’s a really fun ride and one I can’t help but appreciate. Stream it now on Netflix!