In a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated, Izi and Benji fight to navigate the world as residents of The Kitchen, a community that refuses to abandon their home.

‘The Kitchen’ is the debut feature from actor Daniel Kaluuya, who directed the movie alongside Kibwe Tavares, after an idea that originally came from a conversation in a barbershop. Taking place in a housing estate in a dystopian London, it centres on a future where all social housing has been eliminated, leaving ‘The Kitchen’ as one of the last remaining refuges in the city.  Our viewpoint in this world comes through Izi (Kane Robinson) and Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman), two individuals who find each other and develop a surrogate father-son relationship as they attempt to navigate this difficult and often lawless environment, where there are regular clashes as the community refuse to leave their homes despite increasing pressure from the authorities to do so.

The movie begins by introducing us to Izi, a guarded man who lives alone and diligently works for a eco-funeral company with the aim of earning enough money to escape ‘The Kitchen’ for a luxury apartment elsewhere in the city. This aim is complicated when he meets 12-year-old Benji at the funeral home, discovering he is the son of a former girlfriend who has sadly died. Taking pity on Benji, Izi takes him in and starts to develop a bond with a boy who has lost his mother and doesn’t know who his father is. This is a solid directorial debut from Kaluuya and Tavares that attempts to blend social commentary with a dystopian science fiction setting, and it is particularly strong in crafting a vivid world that feels familiar yet decaying. I felt the story itself was a little basic and underdeveloped with few surprises, unless you count Ian Wright randomly playing a community DJ known as Lord Kitchener, and that prevented it from being anything better than merely alright.

‘The Kitchen’ is a good debut from Kaluuya and Tavares that shows an ability to build interesting worlds that allow them to explore familiar, modern themes with the extra impetus a dystopian setting can provide. To get to the next level though, they’re going to need a stronger script to build on the potential of the well depicted dystopian setting.

Rating: 3/5

Directed By: Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya

Starring: Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr, Teija Kabs, Demmy Ladipo, Cristale, BackRoad Gee, Rasaq Kukoyi, Reuben ‘Trizzy’ Nyamah, Henry Lawfull, Alan Asaad and Ian Wright

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4460800/