I wondered if Adam Meeks’ recovery drama Union County, which I saw at Sundance earlier this year, had been acquired. Turns out that Oscilloscope Laboratories picked up the sobering film, led by a great performance by Will Poulter in a rare leading role.
Union County is a tough film, but a worthy one. Set in Meeks’ native Ohio, the film follows drug addicts attempting to start over while navigating a harsh legal system, economic woes, and the tendency to fall back into old habits. Poulter plays Cody Parsons, with Noah Centineo as his foster brother, Jack, who are both trying to endure a court-mandated rehab program for what might be their last chance to get clean.
Meeks surrounds Poulter and Centineo with an ensemble of non-actors, some of them employees in the Ohio court system, others patients in the program. It feels like a movie that comes from a very deep, personal place for Meeks, who also wrote the screenplay.
Emily Meade has a solid role as the Cody and Jack’s sister, who has seen so much of the worst in them that she is ready to give up.
Union County will hit NY and LA theaters on August 14th, with a national rollout to follow. You can check out my review here.
