Written and directed by Adam Meeks, starring Will Poulter, Noah Centineo, Elise Kibler, Emily Meade, and Annette Deao. Star Centineo served as an executive producer, and co-star Poulter produced the film.
Union County is a grounded drama that encapsulates the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio. Titled after Meeks’ hometown that is dear to him, this film is of a personal nature that presents the community with honesty and understanding of these struggles and the patterns of relapse and recovery that show the fight against addiction. The film centers on brothers Cody (Will Poulter) and Jack Parsons (Noah Centineo) as they recover from opioid addiction with the help of a counselor (Annette Deao) and a community of locals facing the same struggle.
The premiere was a joyful yet solemn occasion that celebrated the town while also bringing light to a serious topic at the last installment of the festival in Utah. The film was critically acclaimed, earning a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The cast and crew of Union County at The Eccles Theatre on Jan. 25, 2026 in Park City, UT
Director Adam Meeks explained the undertaking on how this film could affect his hometown while also bringing awareness to the issues it faces.
“You know the responsibility is big, but I think the responsibility is big no matter what your movie is about because we make movies in a.. You know, we don’t make them in a cultural vacuum; we make them for the culture and for people to see, and so there is inherently responsibility in that. And to be honest, I was never too worried about the stakes of that because I was working, you know, side by side with like folks from the community who cared, you know, deeply about how we were telling this story, so it was a you know, a community effort in that way.”
The film is distinctive with the casting of established actors and non-professional actors from Union County, OH, creating a blend of narrative and documentary elements to showcase an authentic portrait of current Midwest America that transcends throughout the nation. Actor Danny Wolohan spoke about how the film accomplishes this.
“This movie is a mix of documentary and narrative film, and the real-life drug courts in Ohio, the real situation where Annette Deao and our judge are the real judge and social worker in the courtroom, and then I am the actor who plays a parole officer in that,” said Wolohan.
Lead actor Will Poulter spoke on humanizing and dignifying his character as he went through the recovery court.
“You know, I think one of the things that is really holistic, humanizing and particularly effective about the adult recovery program that he’s sort of mandated to take part in is that it is often a sort of last chance opportunity for folks who struggle with substance abuse disorder but it’s still humanizing, it’s still dignifying and it’s very very much defined by care and making the person and the participant feel seen as opposed to persecuting them without giving them those opportunities, without seeing the multi-faceted challenges that lie in recovery.’
Poulter expressed gratitude for being part of this important story. “And so I’m really, really grateful to have been able to play Cody, walk that path a little bit, understand it better, and also just see firsthand what amazing work is done by the participants and the service providers every day,” he said.
Producer Sean Weiner highlighted the strength that Annette Deao brings to her role in the film, as she is a real-life therapist who works in Union County, OH, who offered a lot of guidance on set.
“We came in with every ethical concern as a priority for us but we also recognized that you know beyond Adam who was from this community originally a lot of us were coming into the community for the first time and so we had this deep responsibility to show dignity, to build trust and having Annette help us figure out how that works, what the right language is, what the right way to engage with folks is, how to find time to break bread or be in community together. She guided us through that like our sage, and we’re so grateful for it.”
For actor Annette Deao, this was an easy feat as she played herself and demonstrated how her work affects and helps people who have felonies due to their addictions, allowing them to join a recovery court program.
“The ability to have frequent contact with the judge, frequent contact with my team which is case managers and probation officers and lots and lots and lots of supports and it’s a long program at 18 to 24 months and we’re just kind of walking you through one person and hopefully helping you see that there’s so much hope in this and can we let go of the stigma… People who have a substance use disorder aren’t bad people; they have a bad problem everybody and this wonderful team came in feeling the same way. This is a story that needs to be told.”
The cast and director of Union County at The Eccles Theatre on Jan. 25, 2026 in Park City, UT
The film is still currently seeking distribution.
Watch our entire interviews and coverage of the premiere in the video above.
