Less Than Zero

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how exactly did Downey Jr. die?

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Clay is a college freshman who returns home to Los Angeles, California, for Christmas to find things very different than the way he left them. His ex-girlfriend, Blair, has been having sex with his high school friend, the now junkie Julian, who is being hassled by his dealer, Rip, for the $50,000 he owes. What follows is Clay's effort to help clean up Julian, who has severed ties with his family because of his lying and stealing to fund his dependency on crack cocaine, smack and other hard drugs. Clay notices that Blair also has a smaller cocaine problem which accompanied her modelling career, and eventually realises that whilst he was gone Blair and Julian banded together while their lives spiralled slowly out of control.
During Clay's visit back home, his relationship with Blair rekindles and Julian's attitude becomes more volatile — he was forced by Rip to become a prostitute in order to sustain his fixes. After one extremely drug-fuelled night, Julian decides to quit, and starts to make up with his father. Later on, however, he is tempted back once again into the seedy life he was trying to leave. After Julian goes to Rip and tells him of his plans for sobriety, Rip hooks him back. Blair decides to get clean, also, and Clay rescues Julian, and after a final face-off with Rip and his henchman, they escape Los Angeles. The three drive through the night, with Julian reiterating promises of going clean again. Sometime the next day, Clay pulls over to find that the sleeping Julian has actually died of an overdose. Clay and Blair are then seen after Julian's funeral, where Clay tells Blair about the death of Julian's mother and how it affected him. Clay then tells Blair he is going back east and wants her to go with him; she agrees. The final scene of the film shows the couple leaving town and then the picture of Blair, Clay and Julian at their graduation. This is the last time the three are seen happy together. We hear the Elvis Costello title theme playing over the closing credits.

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