TL;DR – A thoughtful meditation on identity, community, and family.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.

The Kitchen Review –

I am always fascinated by the techniques that filmmakers use to hit you with emotions. Sometimes, it can be pretty forceful, like a slap in the face. Other times, it is like a tide coming in, almost imperceptible, until you realise that you have been engulfed. Today’s film skews closer to the latter and is just as powerful for it.  

So to set the scene, in the not-to-distant future, Izi (Kane Robinson) lives in The Kitchen. A large, dense residential area on the outskirts of London’s centre. It is a difficult life because the police are trying to move people out of the slum, but most have nowhere to go. Izi works for Life After Life, a company that repurposes the remains of people who have died to become the support network for a new tree to be planted in a reclamation project. It is here when he discovers one of the names is someone deeply familiar to him from his past. A woman whose only griever is her son Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman).

This is technically a science fiction film bordering into the dystopia side of fiction. However, it has a much more lighter touch than other films in this space, like Dredd. However, those monikers feel more of a way to provide a touch of distance for people to engage with the narrative before it starts to shine a light on how everything that is happening in this future setting is also happening today. It captures you, and then those first cans start to clang over the characters and the intensity gets raised to a new level.

What I liked about The Kitchen was the way it explores community. Visually, it has taken a lot of references from the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong and the Ponte City in Johannesburg. It is clearly a disadvantaged area, but that does not mean that it is not a thriving world with its own strengths. You have Lord Kitchener’s (Ian Wright) pirate radio, bringing everyone together one record and uplifting message at a time. A roller-skating rink which was carved out of the building. A market where supplies can get smuggled in. It is a place of support but also isolation.

Indeed, the first main distinction that we get is how Izi clearly lives in The Kitchen, but he is not a member of the community. It creates an off-kilter position for the character straight out of the gate that sets up his avenue for potential growth through the film. It also puts him in sharp contrast with his maybe-son Benji, who is desperately trying to find that community as he explores his grief over losing his mother. That community could be helpful for him or put him on a dangerous path.

Here, we are going to talk about the structure and ending of The Kitchen, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. You can jump to the final paragraph if you want to miss them. I will say that this film is a prolonged burn, which might be a problem for some, but I think it helped highlight the growing bond between the two leads. Also, without that, moments like How Great Thou Art would not have had the impact that they did. The ending of the film might be the most controversial part, because it ends on an unresolved note. Well, not quite. It resolves the most critical aspect of the film, but only that part, while leaving the rest of the narrative hanging in the balance. I am sure some people will not like this, but sometimes in life, you never get the answers that you want.        

In the end, do we recommend The Kitchen? Yes, we do. I don’t know if it will be a film for everyone. But for me, the slow burn led to an almost perfect crescendo. The cast brings the film to life, and the world they create is as vibrant as it is disheartening. If you liked The Kitchen, we would recommend to you They Cloned Tyrone.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched The Kitchen?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Kitchen
Directed by – Kibwe Tavares & Daniel Kaluuya
Written by – Daniel Kaluuya & Joe Murtagh
Music by – Labrinth & Alex Baranowski
Cinematography by – Wyatt Garfield
Edited by – Christian Sandino-Taylor & Maya Maffioli
Production/Distribution Companies – Film4, DMC Film, 59% Productions & Netflix
Starring – Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr, Teija Kabs, Demmy Ladipo, Cristale, BackRoad Gee, Rasaq Kukoyi, Reuben’ Trizzy’ Nyamah, Henry Lawfull, Alan Asaad & Ian Wright
Rating – Australia: MA15+;