The Kitchen

The Kitchen is a dystopian drama that follows the lives of Izi, a funeral home worker, and Benji, a young boy he mentors, as they struggle to survive in a bleak urban environment of some unexplained future. The movie attempts to create a futuristic setting, but fails to integrate it into the story or explore its implications. The movie also suffers from a lack of direction, character development, and dialogue, leaving the audience detached and dissatisfied. The only redeeming quality of the movie is the performance of Hope Ikpoku Jnr as Staples, a charismatic gang leader who steals every scene he is in. Overall, "The Kitchen" is a disappointing and boring movie that wastes its potential and its cast and it is another brick in the Netflix collection of trash.

The movie opens with a scene of a group of kids on motorbikes robbing a food truck and bringing it back to their community, known as the Kitchen. The movie never explains why the Kitchen is in such a state of poverty and oppression, or why the police are trying to evict its residents. The movie also never shows how the futuristic elements, such as high-tech messages on the mirror or holographic advertisements, affect the lives of the characters or the society. The movie seems to use these elements as mere props, without any meaningful connection to the plot or the themes, basically Sci-Fi sells so we should throw some of that in sort of feeling.

The movie then introduces us to Izi, who works at a funeral home and dreams of escaping the Kitchen and finding a better place to live. He meets Benji, a young boy who has lost his parents and is living on the streets. Izi takes Benji under his wing and tries to teach him how to survive in the harsh reality of the Kitchen. The movie tries to portray the bond between Izi and Benji, but fails to make us care about them or their struggles. The movie does not give us any insight into their personalities, backgrounds, or motivations. The movie also does not show us how they grow or change as a result of their experiences. Some other characters, such as "Lord Kitchen", a mysterious figure who broadcasts music and messages to the Kitchen, also fails to attach any explanation or add any value to the story.

The movie ends with a vague and unsatisfying conclusion, that leaves many questions unanswered and many conflicts unresolved. The movie does not explain what happens to the Kitchen, or to Izi and Benji, or to the other characters we met along the way. The movie does not offer any message or lesson, or any reason to watch it in the first place. It is a poorly executed and poorly written movie, that does not deliver on any of the promises it makes. It is not a sci-fi movie, nor a drama movie, nor a good movie. It is a waste of time and money, and a disappointment to anyone who expects more from cinema.

I doubt that anybody who is not a friend of the production will give this movie anything over a '5'. I am giving this a '4' as I was tempted to stop watching it several times throughout, and I'm sure you will too.

It is difficult to describe just how bad a movie can be...this one in particular is pretty bad...

In a strange attempt to port US racial issues to the UK it fails on almost every count. Poor direction, poor script and very bad acting...all of which might be over-looked if the end film was engaging at all...it isn't. It almost feels like watching a trailer for an hour and a half.

It isn't the worst film I've ever seen. Just what you expect from a modern movie...Boring plot. Boring characters etc.

I give it 5 out of 10 because there is some production value...totally wasted but it is there nonetheless.

The acting is incredible, the directing is brilliant, the cinematography is gorgeous. It has been well written and well executed. It's pretty obvious how we have got to this 'dystopian future', so I don't agree with other reviews that this was lacking from the film. In fact, it's more of a reflection of modern society, and says a lot about the world we already live in, today - not so much dystopian at all. There are people living in London today with lives similar to those depicted in this film; waiting for people to come and pull them from their homes, powerless, but finding solidarity in community. Rampant capitalism, large corporations exploiting and disregarding the poor. So many stories are being told, by following the story of Izi and Benji. It's really a beautiful piece of cinema, that manages to say a lot about life.

However, it is a slow film. It's a thoughtful film. I think it will be lost on some people, whose expectations of a Kano and Daniel Kaluuya film will not be met. I think, in some parts, it was too slow - but at the same time, not a scene was wasted, A strange ambivalence to it, as it is, at the end, the sum of its parts.

The Kitchen portrays a destitute community grappling with eviction and poverty, with the protagonist, Izi, employed at a funeral home. It is here that he encounters Benji and takes him under his wing. Izi's aspiration is to transcend the challenges of the Kitchen and secure a more promising dwelling, and the film delves into the evolving dynamics of Izi and Benji's relationship.

Despite its dystopian backdrop, the movie's futuristic elements predominantly influence its visual aesthetics rather than substantively shaping the narrative. Without these futuristic elements, it could easily have been an episode on Top Boy.

Throughout the film, the lack of a cohesive direction leaves viewers disconnected from the characters. The conclusion, in particular, proves to be notably unsatisfying, offering little resolution to pivotal events that transpired earlier.

Jedaiah Bannerman's portrayal of Benji suffers from lackluster acting, exacerbated by dialogue that comes across as uninspired. In contrast, Hope Ikpoku Jnr, in the role of Staples, stands out as the one actor who excels within the constraints of limited screen time.

Regrettably, the film falls short of expectations, and it is hoped that both the director and the writers can refine their storytelling skills to deliver a more engaging cinematic experience in the future.

The Kitchen had so much potential with it's premise but ultimately falls victim to a slow moving script and frustrating story. The film depicts a bleak dystopian futurist society in 2044 London where people are seperated by wealth gaps. The pros of this film are the visuals/cinematography and performances. The Kitchen can't make up it's mind what type of story it wants to be which will cause confusion by the viewer. During it's short run time I felt like this movie was over 2 hours long but was only a little over one hour 30 minutes. The ending is also very unsatisfying and leaves up to interpretation. I was interested within the first 5 minutes of the movie but it quickly derails. The Kitchen gets 5 stars out of 10 from me.