The Kitchen review: Almost hits on something amazing

All too often, the big screen takes a swipe at what the future holds for modern society. More often than not, this translates as a robotic physical nature of community that incorporates AI, the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer – just like The Kitchen.

In Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares’ new Netflix film, it’s London’s turn to be unveiled as a societal nightmare in a not-so-distant future. The creative team’s credentials check out in terms of stepping up to the dystopian plate, with Kaluuya starring in Jordan Peele‘s 2017 horror hit Get Out and writer Joe Murtagh having more recently penned Gangs of London and The Woman In The Wall.

In a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated, Izi (Kane Robinson) and Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) fight to navigate the world as residents of The Kitchen – a community that refuses to abandon their home. The film is in a league of its own in terms of portraying London’s “lower” classes, placing its emphasis on the strength of community over turning to unnecessary violence.

Though The Kitchen never shies away from holding up a mirror to police brutality and the wrongs of an outdated and inaccessible system, its sense of worldbuilding sometimes runs before it can walk. While its intentions are well-placed – and for the most part are incredibly successful – small details take viewers out of moments when the emotional drive needs to stay in fifth gear.

Daniel Kaluuya’s spin on Black Mirror

It’s most likely a lazy comparison, but there are noticeable similarities to Charlie Brooker’s continuing anthology series Black Mirror – in particular to the episode Kaluuya appeared in himself. Back in 2011, he starred in Season 1’s Fifteen Million Merits, which followed a young man who retaliates against a forceful social system in order to try and change the overall quality of life for good. Much of these foundations remain the same in The Kitchen, only the focus lies heavily on the fledgling relationship between man and boy.

This connection is often a scatty one, with both parties taking it in turns to up sticks and change their allegiance – whether that’s to other groups of people or internally rescinding. Though frustrating, it’s most likely an apt reflection of two young guys learning to be vulnerable in a world that has continually forced them to keep quiet. Emotional outbursts are fleeting, jarring, and confusing, yet each makes progress toward the pair becoming a dysfunctional family unit.

What’s particularly refreshing is the lack of negativity plaguing any of the young characters that audiences are introduced to. There’s no in-fighting, no sense of hierarchy, no sense of anyone being an outcast within a community that’s already incredibly ostracized. The kids are free to develop their individuality, while the eldest of the bunch pours their energy into protecting those in their care. The Kitchen is possibly one of the only films of its kind that is totally separated from stereotypical shackles, which is reason enough to see it alone.

Society’s future is laid bare

Unsurprisingly, London’s future is looking rather grim. Social housing has been completely wiped out, instead implementing our Black Mirror style of ascending to a supposed “greater good” (even the mirror-incorporated technology looks exactly the same). The poor are getting their scraped-together resources pulled out from underneath them, while police brutality kicks up a notch with full-force raids.

In a world where nobody should be bargaining for hot water but frequently are, The Kitchen offers a wake-up call to those who have forgotten what our overly-romanticized cities can really be like. At the same time, there’s hope – our outlook on death takes an eco-friendly turn, and community lies at the heart of everything that unfolds. Nowhere is this better understood than the surprise casting of football legend Ian Wright, who plays the local leader Lord Kitchener with aplomb.

If truth be told, The Kitchen is arguably one draft away from encapsulating something truly special. Worldbuilding sequences often feel underexplained, with key details going amiss in between instances of playful connection or outright chaos. The film’s narrative itself is on the baggier side, with the script meandering out of the fictional confines that the creative team has set. It feels as though things are operating in a raw, testing-the-waters stage that comes before the big glossy finish, and as great as that is for a smaller movie, this is at the detriment of its overall effect.

The Kitchen review score: 3/5

Not one to miss out on, The Kitchen is good but just shy of being great.

With solid performances, realistic and heart-warming connections, and a stark reminder that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, the nearly-there outcome just stops itself from hitting on something huge.

The Kitchen is set to stream on Netflix in late 2023. You can also check out our other Netflix hubs below:

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