Union County

Perhaps it’s counterintuitive to celebrate an authentically positive film about the opioid addiction crisis, but Adam Meeks’ feature debut pulls off a rare feat: it feels real and hopeful. The film was inspired by the Adult Recovery Court in Belfontaine, Ohio, and most of the supporting cast are non-professionals Meeks met in the program. Their testimonies are interspersed with Union County’s dramatic axis point, which is the chequered relationship between the taciturn Cody (the British actor Will Poulter) and his foster brother Jack (Noah Centenio).

The film’s realism is so grounded, the characters’ small triumphs resonate deeply.

Downbeat without being depressing — the program’s participants are almost shockingly cheerful company — Union County is a compassionate portrait of a Sisyphean endeavor. Stefan Weinberger’s camera is kind and calm, nurturing a tone that’s empathetic rather than dramatic.

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

The right mix of true and imagined can give the simplest of humane narratives — in this case, the possibility of renewal in an epidemic of hurt — a fresher chance to touch us.

Robert Abele, LA Times

A heartening look at a public system that is in place to help people, at the individuals who make it work, and at those who, through it, find something like healing.

Zachary Barnes, Wall Street Journal