Union County Film Review: Climbing Out of a Hole

Adam Meeks’ Union County is a realistic and emotional drama about drug addiction, friendship, trust and life’s biggest obstacles.

Starring a surprisingly low-key Will Poulter, the film takes its time to tell the story of an opioid addict, his best friend and the circumstances they have to deal with, as they battle their inner demons and try to build a life of their own. Well-acted and elegantly shot, Union County can feel a bit tired at times, but it still works both as a potent drama and a cautionary tale.

Poulter plays Cody Parsons, a young man who has been taking opioids since he was seventeen years old, and who brought foster brother Jack (an almost-unrecognisable Noah Centineo) to the world of drugs. They both hit rock bottom a while ago, which compelled them to join a program known as an adult recovery court, which makes them go to meetings and talk to other addicts, as they are supervised, tested and evaluated in court. Cody is doing quite well, and although Jack does have his ups and downs, at least he has managed to find a job for his best friend.

Unfortunately, Cody can’t quite manage to repair his relationship with his sister Katrina (Emily Meade), who only occasionally lets him see his niece. And after a few weeks in the program, Jack fails to pay a few fines and is found by the court to still be on drugs, going on a downward spiral once again… taking Cody with him. They decide to buy some heroin; they get high, and they get involved in a car accident. It’s this event that ultimately makes Cody reconsider his life, as he begins to regret many of his recent life choices and tries to become friends with Anna (Elise Kibler), an ex-addict who volunteers at the women’s sober house right across his place.

Despite being about drug addiction and even death and pain, Union County is a surprisingly relaxed movie. It moves at its own pace, establishing a palpable sense of place and mood, making sure the audience understands the contrast between its characters’ hard lives and the sunny and green town they live in. And although the stakes are understandably high for Cody, there’s never a great sense of tension or suspense, with the narrative developing expectedly and even predictably. Union County works thanks to its characters, performances and themes, but it never manages to surprise or shock.

That lack of originality may also be due to the underdeveloped secondary characters. Cody is obviously the de facto protagonist, and he is fully fleshed out as a problematic young man full of regret, who, despite the many mistakes he makes, only wants to do the right thing. The other characters, though, aren’t as interesting. Noah Centineo’s Jack is more of an idea or a catalyst for Cody’s actions than a believable human being; Anna is a rather flat “best friend” character (at least she’s not converted into a love interest); and Annette (played by Annette Deao) is a stereotypically well-meaning and kind older woman with no agency of her own.

Nevertheless, the performances manage to make up for most of the script’s shortcomings. Poulter is particularly good as Cody, playing him subtly but realistically, acting a lot with his body language and facial expressions rather than through dialogue. For his part, Noah Centineo might not have a lot to work with as Jack, but makes the most out of the part, turning him into a pretty memorable figure. And although Elise Kibler doesn’t have a lot to do apart from playing Anna as someone very interested in Cody (more as a friend than as a lover), she exudes kindness and compassion, which is exactly what he needs at this time of his life.

Meeks directs Union County with elegance and grace, taking advantage of his real-life locations in order to establish the characters’ surroundings as peaceful and warm. They might be living through tough times, but at least they’re doing it in a rather serene town, where most people seem to want to help them rather than antagonise them. Additionally, everyone (apart from Cody and Jack, of course) who talks about their addiction during the court scenes is a real-life participant of the program, which helps with Union County’s verosimilitude and makes its good intentions feel all the more honest.

Union County doesn’t convey a lot we haven’t seen in previous films: it’s all about the compassion everyone should feel for people going through addiction, and about the connections that can be made in order to climb out of a proverbial hole. It’s a predictable story, and yet it works due to the strength of its protagonist, the memorable performances and Meeks’ subdued yet compelling direction. Union County proves the importance of these stories, and shows that Will Poulter has the chops to become a rather interesting dramatic actor.

Union County will be released in US theaters on August 14, 2026.