If you’ve spent any time scrolling through Netflix lately, you probably saw the thumbnail for The Kitchen. It’s got Daniel Kaluuya’s name attached as a co-director and writer, which usually means things are about to get heavy, weird, or intensely social-conscious. Usually all three. Released in late 2023, this film isn’t just another "the future is bad" story. Honestly, it’s a mood. It’s a vibe. It’s a grim, neon-soaked reflection of where London—and basically every other major city—might be heading if we don’t fix the housing crisis soon.
The movie takes us to a fictionalized, near-future London. In this version of reality, social housing has been totally wiped out. Everything is luxury. Everything is private. Except for The Kitchen. It’s the last holdout. It’s a massive, crumbling, vibrant, and dangerous apartment complex that refuses to surrender to the police or the developers.
What The Kitchen Gets Right About the Future
Most sci-fi tries too hard. You know what I mean? They put glowing lines on everything and make cars fly for no reason. The Kitchen doesn't do that. The world feels lived-in. It feels sticky and loud. The directors, Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares, lean into a "used future" aesthetic that makes the stakes feel incredibly high because they feel recognizable.
The story follows Izi, played by Kane Robinson (you might know him better as Kano). He’s a guy who’s just trying to get out. He works at a high-tech funeral home called Life After Life, where people who can’t afford burial plots are basically turned into compost for trees. It’s macabre. It’s also a brilliant bit of world-building that highlights the central theme: in this world, even your body is just another piece of real estate to be managed.
Izi is lonely. He’s focused on his own survival until he meets Benji, a young boy played by Jedaiah Bannerman. Benji just lost his mother and is looking for a connection. The chemistry between these two is the heart of the film, but it’s not a soft, fuzzy heart. It’s jagged. Izi isn't sure he wants to be a father figure, and Benji isn't sure he can trust this guy.
The Sound of the Resistance
One of the coolest parts of the movie is the "Kitchen DJ," voiced by the legendary Ian Wright. Yes, that Ian Wright. He spends the whole movie in a pirate radio booth, spinning records and giving the residents updates on when the police are coming to raid the building. It’s a nod to London’s real history of pirate radio and sound system culture.
It also serves a narrative purpose. The music in The Kitchen isn't just background noise; it's a character. When the police cut the power and the residents start banging on the pipes to create a beat, you feel the community. It’s a stark contrast to the sterile, quiet world Izi is trying to move into.
The Politics of the Patio
Let’s talk about the raids. They are terrifying. The way the police are depicted in this film isn't as "villains" in a superhero sense, but as an impersonal, bureaucratic force of displacement. They aren't there to solve crimes. They are there to clear the land.
- The residents use "mirrors" to signal when the police are coming.
- Water is a luxury, often shut off to force people out.
- The "Kitchen" itself is a labyrinth of shipping containers and concrete.
This mirrors real-world gentrification. If you look at the history of places like the Heygate Estate in Elephant and Castle, you can see the DNA of The Kitchen. The film captures that specific anxiety of being told your home no longer belongs to you because someone with more money wants to build a "wellness center" or a luxury high-rise on top of it.
Izi’s struggle is the central conflict of the film. He wants to leave. He wants that clean, quiet life. But the movie asks a hard question: at what cost? To get that life, he has to turn his back on the only people who actually care if he lives or dies.
Why Some Critics Were Divided
If you look at Rotten Tomatoes, the scores are generally good, but there's a segment of the audience that found it "slow." I get it. If you’re expecting Blade Runner action, you’re going to be disappointed. This is a character study. It’s a drama that just happens to take place in 2044.
The ending is also something people talk about a lot. It doesn't wrap everything up in a neat little bow. There’s no grand revolution where the poor overthow the rich and everyone lives happily ever after. It’s more intimate than that. It’s about a man deciding to stand still instead of running away. Some people hated the ambiguity, but honestly, it’s the most honest way they could have ended it. A clean victory would have felt fake.
Technical Mastery Behind the Scenes
Kibwe Tavares has a background in architecture, and you can really see it. The way the buildings are framed makes them feel like they’re closing in on the characters. The use of color is also specific. The "outside" world is cool, blue, and sterile. The Kitchen is orange, red, and brown. It’s warm but stifling.
The film also avoids the typical "chosen one" trope. Benji isn't a secret prince or a genius who’s going to hack the system. He’s just a kid. Izi isn't a hero. He’s a guy who works a depressing job and saves his credits. This grounded approach makes the sci-fi elements hit harder because they don't feel like magic. They feel like technology that could exist in ten years.
How to Actually Watch and Appreciate It
To get the most out of The Kitchen, you have to stop comparing it to American blockbusters. It’s a very British film. It’s rooted in the "kitchen sink realism" of the 1950s and 60s, just updated with drones and holographic billboards.
Pay attention to the background details. The labels on the food, the way people charge their phones, the slang they use. It all adds up to a world that feels 90% finished. It’s that extra 10% of mystery that makes it stay with you after the credits roll.
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Actionable Insights for Viewers
If you're planning to watch or have already seen it and want to dive deeper, here is how to process the film's themes:
Look up the Heygate and Aylesbury Estates. Understanding the real-life London social housing crisis gives the film an entirely different layer of meaning. The "Kitchen" isn't a total fantasy; it's an exaggeration of real places that were demolished to make room for luxury flats.
Listen to the soundtrack separately. The mix of UK drill, classic soul, and electronic music is a masterclass in using sound to define a space. It highlights the "clash" of cultures that the movie is all about.
Watch for the mirrors. The recurring motif of reflection—from the funeral home's sleek surfaces to the handheld mirrors used by the Kitchen lookouts—symbolizes how the characters see themselves versus how the world sees them.
The film isn't a lesson. It’s an experience. It’s about the tension between wanting a better life for yourself and the responsibility you have to the people around you. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s occasionally frustrating. But so is life in the city.
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Next Steps for Deep Diving into The Kitchen
To fully grasp the cinematic language of Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares, watch the short film Jonah (2013), which Tavares directed. It explores similar themes of urban decay and the price of progress. Additionally, research the "right to the city" concept in urban sociology; it provides the academic framework for why a place like The Kitchen would fight so hard to exist in a world that wants to erase it. Finally, revisit the 2023 interviews with Kane Robinson to understand how his personal history in London informed his portrayal of Izi's isolation.