“The Kitchen” Movie Review

“Get Out”, “Nope” and “Black Panther” actor Daniel Kaluuya’s directorial debut, “The Kitchen”, centers around the residents of a London social housing complex in the year 2044. “Top Boy” actor Kane ‘Kano’ Robinson, newcomer Jedaiah Bannerman, “Top Boy” actor Hope Ikpoku Jnr., “We Are Lady Parts” actor Demmy Ladipo, former professional soccer player Ian Wright and others star in this sci-fi thriller drama.

Directed by Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares, this class-conscious dystopian film follows funeral salesman Izi (Kane Robinson) and 12-year-old Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) as their lives intertwine in a futuristic London following the death of Benji’s mother.

In a world where social housing has been eliminated and the poor are turned into plants after death, one community, “The Kitchen”, refuses to abandon their homes. Benji and Izi try to navigate their world as “The Kitchen” residents, surviving random authoritarian raids while trying to make the most out of life.

The 108-minute film keeps the audience guessing throughout the first half, yet still hides some of the answers by the end of the second half. Fortunately, this film does an amazing job of allowing the audience to not need all of the answers to understand who to root for and what stakes they are up against.

The directors’ visions are the most electric aspect of the British dystopian film. Kaluuya and Tavares used pastels with a bleak, rusted-colored overtone in order to make the world seem realistic despite the unsettling dystopian technology.

“The Kitchen” is filled with artistic, cinematographic moments, encapsulating the audience’s attention with beautifully shot scenes. The scenes range from neon flashing light hangouts to monotone-tinted bonding moments, all while maintaining the emotional impact of the story.

The story follows Benji and Izi as they begin to develop a “father and son” like bond, learning how to live (and relive for Benji) with someone by their side. When Benji enters The Kitchen searching for Izi after his mother’s death, he ends up in an ideological tug-of-war of sorts between Izi and The Kitchen’s biker gang leader Staples (Hope Ikpoku Jnr.). Surprisingly, there is no clear “winner” of the philosophical tug-of-war.

Although some of the film felt underdeveloped and mundane, and the pacing was a little scattered and rugged, the emotional impact was evident throughout. While there seemed to be a lack of significant, deep character development for the two main leads, Bannerman’s performance as Benji saves the day.

The Netflix film somehow uses beautiful cinematography to center around the heartwarming concept of a “father and son” level bonding experience while highlighting a concern for the growing economic class differences in an age of technology. While there were many loose threads remaining, one can hope that perhaps a sequel will follow.

Overall, “The Kitchen” was an absolutely genius and riveting movie. Potential viewers should beware of the R rating, but with beautiful cinematography, depth, dynamic relationships and thought-provoking dialogue, this movie is a must-watch for 2024.

Rating: 5/5

Sarah Taylor is a first-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email smt6314@psu.edu.