Movie of the Week
Navigate dystopian London in ‘The Kitchen’
Today Netflix airs The Kitchen, in which an unlikely pair struggle in a society afflicted by extreme wealth inequality, writes JASON BANNIER.
In a dystopian future of London, all social housing has been eliminated, but The Kitchen remains. In this community, residents refuse to abandon their home. The lone protagonist, Izi, navigates these parts and is close to escaping. However, when he encounters Benji, a 12-year-old boy who has lost his mother and is seeking a family, Izi faces new challenges.
In this drama, the gap between rich and poor has been stretched to its limits. The unlikely pair, played by Kane Robinson and Jedaiah Bannerman, grapple to forge a relationship within a system that is inherently biased against them.
Robinson, known by his British rapper name Kano, is widely considered one of the pioneers of the Grime music genre. The movie features 14-year-old Bannerman in his first film.
The cast features:
- Hope Ikpoku Jr.
- Ian Wright
- Teija Kabs
- Demmy Ladipo
- Cristale
- BackRoad Gee
- Rasaq Kukoyi
- Reuben ‘Trizzy’ Nyamah
- Henry Lawfull
- Alan Asaad
Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) co-directed The Kitchen alongside Kibwe Tavares. One might recognise Kaluuya from Black Panther as W’Kabi, or his voice in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as Hobart “Hobie” Brown.
The Kitchen streams on Netflix from today (19 January 2024).
* Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and writer for Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter and Threads at @jas2bann.
