A One Mann’s Movies Film Review of “The Kitchen” (2024).
After deploring the Netflix sausage-machine for churning out art-free films like “Lift“, here comes a fine offering to help defend the streaming-giant’s choices. “The Kitchen” closed the London Film Festival last year and is the directorial debut of actor and former BAFTA Rising Star Daniel Kaluuya. As a movie, it’s a bit of a downer… but it is nevertheless a classy and well-made film.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Izi (Kane Robinson, aka ‘Kano’) works as a salesman at a funeral service called “Life After Life”. Picking up an orphaned boy there, Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman), he introduces him to the high-rise society where he lives called “The Kitchen”. But it is a time of turmoil in the community as the authorities try to clear the building for demolition and redevelopment.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong language”).
Talent:
Starring: Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jnr, Reuben ‘Trizzy’ Nyamah, Ian Wright, Teija Kabs.
Directed by: Daniel Kaluuya & Kibwe Tavares.
Written by: Daniel Kaluuya & Joe Murtagh.
Twitter Handle: #TheKitchen.
Running Time: 1h 47m.
“The Kitchen” Film Review:
Positives:
- The world-building here is really good. Set sometime in the 2040’s, The Kitchen is like some slum-outlier on the sparkling and rich city of London that sits on the horizon. The authorities are trying to bulldoze the place for… who knows what reason?… HS3? (Haha – joke. You don’t expect HS2 to be finished by then do you?). But the area buzzes constantly with surveillance drones, keeping an eye on the troublemakers. This is a near-future not overdone by flying cars and self-dry trousers. We can all recognise that this is a grimy 2020’s South Bank onto which the futuristic stuff has been neatly painted. I liked the ‘trick’ of Izi’s new apartment. “Wow” you think as you enter it. “Look at that view of London”. Then you realise it is a concrete box and the view is just a screen that can be changed to Paris, Rome etc as required!
- There are solid acting jobs done by the leads. Particularly impressive is Jedaiah Bannerman as Benji in his acting debut. They make you care about Izi and Benji’s journey, making some of the decisions Izi has to make, and indeed the finale of the film, heartbreaking.
- The film is very dark in tone. The whole capitalistic idea for the funeral service (turning “death into trees”) is grotesquely fascinating. Izi makes a confession at one point. Following the “grief period” and unless you pay for the deluxe package, the saplings get thrown away. All this darkness makes a sweet little young-love element injected into the story (featuring a very natural Teija Kabs, also in her debut performance, playing Ruby) a welcome respite.
- The Kitchen’s resident DJ is, surprisingly, footballer Ian Wright and an excellent job he does too as the heart and soul of the community, rallying spirits when then are sagging from the constant attacks. There’s a powerful piece of cinema in a scene where ‘the music dies’ (as it were). It’s well done and moving.
Negatives:
- Like I said, the tone of this one is very dark and it doesn’t leave you joyfully skipping away like “Wonka” did!
- Izi’s character is a bit universally bleak. He seems to spend 95% of the film walking around with a despondant, constipated look on his face. A bit more light and shade in the character might have helped.
Summary Thoughts on “The Kitchen”
This project has apparently been a passion project of Daniel Kaluuya for more than a decade. And the love for the subject matter shows on the screen. It is an impressive debut from the “Get Out” star and it will be interesting to see how his directing career develops. Like any good dystopian Sci-fi movie, it’s not one to leave you with joy in your heart. If someone asked me what colour of a movie “Barbie” was, I would naturally say “pink”. If you asked me what colour “The Kitchen” is, I would have to say “dark grey”.
Trailer for “The Kitchen”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgT5cEV5Qt0 .
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