Union County

beautiful portrait of a man fighting against the hurricane he was set up to become

beautiful portrait of a man fighting against the hurricane he was set up to become

This film lives and dies on the empathy of the audience. If you can open your heart to Cody and the other people in recovery, then this is an authentic story of recovery. If you cannot, then this film has nothing for you. It doesn't rely on over-dramatizing Cody's situation or exploiting any of the non-actors involved. The artistic choices on the cinematography and sound are understated.

It's truly remarkable how well the actors and non-actors come together and hide the seam between them. Will Poulter does an excellent job both fitting in and taking Cody through a tough character arc. Annette Deao was a total star; she was able to hold her own across from Poulter while acting out her real ass job. If you asked me to do my job in a movie, I'd freeze up and sweat through my shirt. They had me shedding tears during the crisis phone call.

This film lives and dies on the empathy of the audience. If you can open your heart to Cody and the other people in recovery, then this is an authentic story of recovery. If you cannot, then this film has nothing for you. It doesn't rely on over-dramatizing Cody's situation or exploiting any of the non-actors involved. The artistic choices on the cinematography and sound are understated.

It's truly remarkable how well the actors and non-actors come together and hide the seam between them. Will Poulter does an excellent job both fitting in and taking Cody through a tough character arc. Annette Deao was a total star; she was able to hold her own across from Poulter while acting out her real ass job. If you asked me to do my job in a movie, I'd freeze up and sweat through my shirt. They had me shedding tears during the crisis phone call.

I can appreciate the extreme realism here and what’s a strong lead performance from Will Poulter but as Jack Donaghy taught me, sometimes you need a 3rd heat

I can appreciate the extreme realism here and what’s a strong lead performance from Will Poulter but as Jack Donaghy taught me, sometimes you need a 3rd heat

It’s a somber portrayal of an addict’s recovery journey. Will Poulter is quite good in this but the real strength lies in the group scenes as they use participatory filmmaking for authentic performances. Sing Sing does it better though.

It’s a somber portrayal of an addict’s recovery journey. Will Poulter is quite good in this but the real strength lies in the group scenes as they use participatory filmmaking for authentic performances. Sing Sing does it better though.