Union County review – an affecting Will Poulter lifts quiet addiction drama

2026-01-26 - 05:03

Sundance film festival: the British actor gives a convincing performance as a man going through the drug court system in a grounded look at rehabilitation At a festival where the focus is usually on the many micro and macro systemic wrongs in America, there’s something unusually uplifting to find a Serious Issues movie that hinges on something that actually works. Director Adam Meeks came across a rare piece of good news in the hellscape that is the opioid epidemic: the Ohio drug courts that help to rehabilitate addicts through a system of non-judgmental support and a strict, yet not unforgiving, schedule. His feature debut Union County – an extension of a 2020 short – shows the positive outcome of treating addiction as a problem to be solved, rather than a lifestyle choice to be demonised. Union County is screening at the Sundance film festival and is seeking distribution Continue reading...