The Kitchen review – vindicating and explosive

Review by Rogan Graham @ifursure

Directed by

Daniel Kaluuya Kibwe Tavares

Starring

Hope Ikpoku Jr Jedaiah Bannerman Kano

Anticipation.

The super-industrious Daniel Kaluuya returns, behind the camera this time as co-director.

Enjoyment.

A vindicating and explosive 98 minutes.

In Retrospect.

A very robust debut that lingers in your mind after.

Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares' feature debut is a kinetic, prescient thriller about gentrification and isolation in a near-future version of London.

“They can only stop We, if We see We as I” is the mantra that rings out over The Kitchen, the last standing social housing estate in a dystopian near-future London. The voice belongs to pirate radio host and beating heart of the block, Lord Kitchener, played with gravitas by legend Ian Wright. In their feature directorial debut, Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares deliver a parable on the strength of community and the violence of gentrification, thinly veiled in a father/son drama.

Our anti-hero, Izi, is a cold character to get in bed with. Played by the always-understated Kane Robinson, he embodies an archetype of Black masculinity that has been sculpted into callous stoicism, catering to no woman or child. Izi’s focus is to get out of The Kitchen, or what he calls the “shithole”. Having had enough of dealing with frequent police raids, surveillance drones and shut off water, Izi grafts at Life After Life, an ecological funeral home aptly shot in Barbican’s conservatory, and saves up for a soulless new build flat in the Buena Vida housing complex.

On the day his new flat is finally ready, Izi comes across the funeral of an ex-girlfriend and sees her pre-teen son grieving alone. The now-orphaned Benji, played by newcomer Jedaiah Bannerman, is in search of a father figure. After following Izi to The Kitchen, Benji turns to a group of older teenagers, led by actor Hope Ikpoku Jnr’s Staples, an undercooked but ever-inspiring Robin Hood figure.

While the state seeks to raze the working class and predominantly Black community to the ground by depriving them of power and blocking food deliveries, Staples’ gang rob food vans and redistribute the produce to those in need. The images aren’t dissimilar to those in tabloids, of Black teenagers on bikes with their faces covered, their mere existence presented as a threat. But here Kaluuya as co-writer imbues them with the good humour, moral backbone and humanity we attempt to strip them of before reaching adulthood.

Where the core father/son plot can feel uneven and occasionally at odds with the overarching themes, the film is swollen with ambition and, through a powerful score by Labrinth and a fleshy visual world masterminded by Tavares, the tension never wanes. Vibrant areas of The Kitchen are reminiscent of Brixton market (which is currently on life support), roller rinks and food stalls pulsate with the only vital life remaining in a barren city.

After 13 years of a Tory autocracy, the dystopia of The Kitchen is devastatingly prescient – yet the perspective is still hopeful. Kaluuya and Tavares are bold in presenting gentrification as the cultural murder that it is while also celebrating, with clear eyes, the regular person who lives on in spite of it.

Little White Lies is committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them.

By becoming a member you can support our independent journalism and receive exclusive essays, prints, weekly film recommendations and more.

Published 19 Jan 2024

Tags: Daniel Kaluuya Kibwe Tavares The Kitchen

Anticipation.

The super-industrious Daniel Kaluuya returns, behind the camera this time as co-director.

Enjoyment.

A vindicating and explosive 98 minutes.

In Retrospect.

A very robust debut that lingers in your mind after.

Suggested For You

Nope

By Rogan Graham

A brother and sister attempt to record proof of extra-terrestrial life in Jordan Peele’s ambitious, expertly-crafted blockbuster.

review LWLies Recommends

Inside the grassroots biking movement at the heart of If The Streets Were On Fire

By Henry Boon

Alice Russell's new documentary captures the work of Bikestormz, a passionate community of cyclists aiming to promote community among some of the capital's most disenfranchised kids.

10 recent London realist films you should watch

By Lou Thomas

Contemporary stories offering a diverse mix of authentic, recognisable London voices.

Little White Lies Logo

About Little White Lies

Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.

Editorial

Design