The Kitchen

Name: The Kitchen
Director: Kibwe Tavares
Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Released: 2023
Duration: 1 h 46 min
Cast: Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr, Henry Lawfull, Cristale

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Sci-fi
Action

2023
Kibwe Tavares
106 mins
15

Summary

Sci-fi adventure starring Kane Robinson and Jedaiah Bannerman. In a near-future London, social housing barely exists except for "The Kitchen", an estate on the outskirts of the city which is populated by a community of people who have nowhere to go and are threatened by new owners. Izi is a loner who works at a funeral home and keeps to himself, but that all changes when he befriends recently orphaned Benji.

IMDB

Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

James Mottram

Oscar-winning British actor Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) makes his co-directorial debut with this visually arresting dystopian drama, albeit one hamstrung by a wayward plot. In a near-future London when social housing barely exists, "The Kitchen" is a shanty-town housing estate patrolled by police drones. Living there is Izi (Kane Robinson), who is desperate to leave. Working at a plush funeral parlour helping the bereaved, Isaac bonds with Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman), a 12-year-old whose mother has just died. Co-written by Kaluuya and Joe Murtagh (Calm with Horses), the script deals with issues of paternity - could Isaac be more than just a friend to the boy? - and teen delinquency, as Benji joins a biker gang fighting against the authorities. Some elements work well, like the casting of ex-footballer Ian Wright as a socially conscious DJ broadcasting to the estate. The bombed-out visuals created by Kaluuya and co-director Kibwe Tavares also feel spot-on. Despite commendable ambitions, though, the film lacks the cohesion to deliver dramatic impact.

imdb-square

4.8/10