The screening was followed by a conversation with co-director Daniel Kaluuya and lead star Kane Robinson and was moderated by Jasmine Simpkins from Hip Hollywood. Other attendees included Dave East, Maino, Brian “B Dot” Miller, and Elliott Wilson.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 10: (L-R) Kane Robinson, Daniel Kaluuya and Kela Walker speak onstage during a special screening of ‘The Kitchen’ hosted by Daniel Kaluuya and Kane Robinson at The Roxy Hotel on January 10, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for NETFLIX)
For his directorial debut, Daniel Kaluuya and co-writer Joe Murtagh decided to tell a story set in dystopian London about Izi (Kane Robinson) a member of a community called The Kitchen. The Kitchen is one of the last social housing neighborhoods remaining where the residents refuse to leave despite the constant threat of being forcibly moved. Unlike many of his neighbors, Izi can’t wait to leave and has plans to move to a different neighborhood and leave behind his past. His plans are interrupted, however, when he one day meets 12-year-old Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) who is looking for family and connection.
Despite his reluctance, tough and brooding Izi forms a bond with sweet, idealistic Benji as the days count down to Izi’s plans to leave The Kitchen. Their relationship is tested by raids on their neighborhood, Benji’s friendship with a local group of kids, and Izi’s desire to remain isolated. It all culminates in an ending that everyone is surely going to be talking about.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 10: L-R) Kane Robinson and Daniel Kaluuya speak onstage during a special screening of ‘The Kitchen’ hosted by Daniel Kaluuya and Kane Robinson at The Roxy Hotel on January 10, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for NETFLIX)
The Kitchen is a strong debut for Kaluuya and feature debut for co-director Kibwe Tavares. It’s filled with exciting world-building that mixes current influences that audiences can immediately recognize, a soundtrack that infuses all the genres that represent London, and performances that connect to audiences. Soccer (or football to some) fans will be delighted by the appearance of Premier League legend Ian Wright who plays the role of “Lord Kitchener”, a selector who runs the radio station in The Kitchen and gives voice to the community’s resistance. When I asked Kaluuya how he managed to get the football icon in the film, he simply said, “He auditioned.” Of course, fans of another popular Netflix title, Top Boy, will enjoy seeing Kane Robinson in this new role. He portrays the stoicism and detached nature of Izi with ease but knows when to pull back and convey Izi’s softer side, showing a depth to his character that helps audiences understand his sometimes frustrating motivations.
However, the star of the show and the heart of the film is Jedaiah Bannerman whose emotional, yet joyful performance as Benji, proves he’s a natural. During the Q&A, Kaluuya and Robinson spoke about the young actor’s performance and why he was chosen for the role.
Kaluuya: His aunt told him that there was an audition and told him ‘You should go up for it’. He sent in a tape and he was the best kid. It was so interesting because he’s the one that hadn’t done anything, and acted before, and he just had it. He just still had himself. What I was really surprised by and grateful for was how much depth he had emotionally and what he could just tap into. He already knew about emotional memory. I learned that at sixth form, but he just knew that. He has a high level of empathy for a 13-year-old. It was really impressive to see him work and to see what he gave to us.
Robinson: It’s just a true performance. A lot of actors that have been trained in that way, they end up acting how actors act. They’re doing performances that they’ve seen before on TV rather than- I have no references, everything is just instinct. It’s like rappers. Some rappers act like how rappers act. It’s things that they’ve heard before just through growing up in this field. When you get someone who is completely fresh it’s like- there’s no blueprint. They’re rolling on complete instinct. I think that’s partly why his performance is so beautiful.
The Kitchen is a dystopian sci-fi thriller set against the backdrop of London made in the vision of its directors. It’s a story about community, family, resistance, faith, fear, trauma, and above all love; both for the people that touch your life and for the places you come from. The Kitchen has a lot to say about the relationships we form with the people around us and the importance of connection, especially in a world where the systems that prevail would rather we be isolated and remain individualistic. And that ending… you’ll just have to watch the film to see what it is.
The Kitchen begins streaming on Netflix starting January 19th.