The first trailer for The kitchen has ended up online, and it looks like a disturbing one Great boy meets Blade Runner-esque Netflix film with a lot to say thematically.
Co-written by Daniel Kaluuya (Spider-Man: About the Spider-Verse, No), Rob Hayes and Joe Murtagh, one of Netflix's early 2024 film offerings paints a creative yet believably chilling picture of a dystopian near-future London, where the gap between rich and poor has continued to widen. This is expected to pave the way for urban-style class wars and the uncomfortable socio-political problems they create.
Kaluuya, one of the brightest creative minds to emerge from the British capital in recent years, served as co-director The kitchen next to Kibwe Tavares (Time machine, Robots from Brixton). The duo also made their film debut with the Netflix Original, and the film – a feature film that has been a decade in the making – has already received rave reviews ahead of its release on Netflix.
Following its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival 2023, The kitchen has a score of 83% Rotten tomatoes – albeit based on just 18 reviews – suggesting it will be an emotionally charged, neo-futuristic film when it arrives on the world's top streaming service.
For anyone looking for more information about the plot, here are some details, courtesy of a Netflix press release: “Set in a dystopian London (but one within reach, some twenty years later), the gap between empire and arm became smaller. All forms of social housing have been eradicated and only 'The Kitchen' remains – a community that refuses to move from the place they call home.
“Here we meet a lonely Izi, who lives in The Kitchen out of necessity and is desperate for a way out, and a 12-year-old Benji, who has lost his mother and is looking for a family. We follow our unlikely pair as they struggle to build a relationship in a system rigged against them.”
Kane Robinson (also known by his rapper name Kano), who played the fan favorite Great boy character Sully during its five-season run, stars as Izi. Newcomer Jedaiah Bannerman will also play Benji in a story positioned by Netflix as “a film about community, inequality, family, class, joy, resilience, courage, defiance and care in London – and communities around the world” .
Kaluuya is joined by fellow esteemed actor Michael Fassbender from the film's executive team, while acclaimed British rapper/music producer Labrinth co-created the film's original score with Alex Baranowski.Staged, Rain dogs) for one of the most anticipated new Netflix movies of early 2024.
Shall The kitchen be an early frontrunner for inclusion in our best Netflix movie guide? It certainly seems like it will soon be making its case for itself The kitchen will be released exclusively on Netflix on January 19, 2024. The film will also be available in select UK theaters on a limited basis from January 12.