THE KITCHEN
Coming to the boil
RELEASED OUT NOW! 2024 | 15 | SVOD
Directors Daniel Kaluuya,
Kibwe Tavares
Cast Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr, Ian Wright
In a dystopian nearfuture where all of London’s social housing has been outlawed, it is not, at first, clear why The Kitchen’s titular estate is worth fighting for.
Protagonist Izi (a flawless Kane Robinson) describes his home as a “shithole”. There are long queues for the showers, the power rarely works, and the residents are subjected to brutal attacks by the police. But over the course of the film (which glimpses at the sinister, sterile nightmare that the rest of the city has been gentrified into) it becomes clear that the Kitchen is worth protecting at all costs, representing the last flickers of authentic humanity in a sprawling urban nightmare.
Izi is determined to leave, saving up every penny he can for a deposit in a new governmentapproved development, but he begins to see the value of community when he meets young Benji, who’s recently lost his mother and believes Izi might be his father. Izi allows Benji to temporarily stay with him in the Kitchen before the move, despite the frequent state-sanctioned violence, and the two open themselves up to the community and its spiritual leader Lord Kitchener (an utterly fabulous acting debut from Ian Wright).
Equal parts moving and thrilling
The Kitchen is equal parts moving and thrilling, with kinetic heist scenes, tender teen romance and intelligent sci-fi. Everything from the brutalist architecture to the jewel-toned roller-disco nights feels authentic, and is gorgeously realised by two directors with an eye for detail. This future London may seem doomed, but our present-day one is producing some serious talent. Leila Latif
The name of Ian Wright’s character is a nod to the calypso singer, who came to London in 1948 on the Empire Windrush.