The Sundance Film Festival is notorious for programming meandering, heartbreakingly poignant tales of human struggle year after year. Last year’s crowd-pleasing tearjerker was Max Walker-Silverman’s Rebuilding (2025), a 95-minute, evocative vignette starring Josh O’Connor as a struggling father in the American West. Other recent Sundance premieres that followed a similar wavelength include Eva Victor’s Sorry Baby (2025) and, of course, Celine Song’s Past Lives (2023). Such sentimental indie gems have long been the heart of the festival since its inception, and this year’s example is Union County (2026), starring Will Poulter.
The British star has had a mean streak over the last few years, showing his keen ability to balance comedy and drama in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), On Swift Horses (2024), Death of a Unicorn (2025), and Warfare (2025). If there’s one thing anybody can say about Poulter, it’s that he never repeats himself. In Union County, the feature debut of writer-director Adam Meeks, Poulter portrays Cody Parsons, a struggling young man on his journey to recovery from addiction during the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio in the mid 2010s. The film expands on Meeks’ short of the same name, which premiered at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival and quickly gained international acclaim.
Will Poulter and Noah Centineo Reunite On Screen
Cody, finally accepting that he’s hit rock bottom and needs real help, joins the same county-mandated drug court program his childhood foster brother, Jack (Noah Centineo), has been part of. Jack has relapsed time and time again and is consistently late on paying his fines, but his genuine personality and undeniable likability and charm seem to be enough to earn him many second, third, and fourth chances. The brothers represent two familiar types of people one can find in most rehab programs. Cody is sheepish and quiet, pulling inward when in trouble or in pain. In contrast, Jack is loud and unreserved, masking his hardships with humor and a certain flippancy that, at its core, is a cry for help.
Will Poulter’s nuanced take on a young man in the throes of addiction is ultimately what makes Union County as effective as it is. His portrayal is subdued, yet no less captivating or powerful. Although his Warfare co-star Noah Centineo has a substantially smaller role, the impact of his character resonates throughout Poulter’s performance until the very end. But what makes Union County unique, above all else, is that it features real-life recovering opioid addicts. Presented as brief cameos seamlessly woven into this fabricated tale, these individuals get to stand before real-life judge Kevin P. Braig (who actually presides over the Logan County courthouse seen in the film) and provide updates on their healing progress.
Union County makes its audience privy to these people’s true struggles and hardships. The authenticity they bring in just the opening scene alone helps set the tone for Cody’s story, and the choice to include them in such a raw portrayal of addiction is both daring and brave.
A Surprising Scene-Stealer
Finally, there’s the exceptional scene-stealer Annette Deao, who has worked as a real therapist in the adult rehabilitation courts for more than 20 years. Having acted as a counselor and advocate for addicts for decades, she is something of a guardian angel both in real life and on screen. Union County sees Deao playing a version of herself, acting as a sponsor and 24/7 therapist for the brothers. If they simply need someone to call in the quiet midnight hours, are seeking advice, or require a “tough love”- style reality check, she is there to meet their needs. Deao is undoubtedly the heart of Union County, and her sincerity and trustworthiness shine through in her performance.
Emily Meade (The Leftovers) also delivers a particularly troubled, heavy performance as Kat, Cody and Jack’s sister. She illustrates how inconceivably hard it can be to continuously love a loved one through addiction. Finally, the recovered mother, Anna (Elise Kibler), stands as a representation of what the future can hold after substance abuse. Each character in Union County embodies a facet of addiction and recovery that isn’t often discussed in the mainstream. Instead of beating viewers over the head with these themes, Adam Meeks’s script handles them with delicate care. The end result will likely ring familiar to anyone who has seen the effects of drug addiction firsthand.
Union County is a Somber, But Genuine Depiction of Recovery
Cinematographer Stefan Weinberger (Summer of Soul) expertly captures a bleak and dreary perspective of Ohio, from vast, empty cornfields to soggy, neglected suburbs. Even the interior of the car Cody temporarily lives in feels suffocating, dismal, and, at his worst mental state, utterly hopeless. However, there is hope to be found in the court, as well as in the group session rooms — a sort of warm glow that signifies the possibility of change. When paired with the subtle yet moving score by Celia Hollander (Good One), the technical aspects cradle the film’s tender narrative gracefully. In return, this pushes the ongoing opioid crisis further into the light for more audiences to understand.
The leisurely pace is fitting, though at only 97-minutes, Union County shouldn’t feel as long as it does. The plot loses a bit of focus in the second act but regains its momentum in time for the conclusion. While it may become lethargic, Union County never strays from its deliberate and authentic message. Filmmaker Adam Meeks depicts the arduous efforts of recovering addicts with gentle, respectful hands; it’s immensely apparent how much heart is infused into this narrative.
Union County is successful in illustrating the bleak realities of relapses, fatalities, and betrayals that addicts and their loved ones endure. Yet, the film simultaneously refuses to vilify these individuals. After all, this story is not about one’s failure, but rather their challenging climb back up and the regaining of their own dignity and autonomy.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Union County premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival!
Release Date: TBA.
Directed by Adam Meeks.
Written by Adam Meeks.
Produced by Will Poulter, Brad Becker-Parton, Martha Gregory, Stephanie Roush, Faye Tsakas, Sean Weiner, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, Ellyn Daniels, & Will O’Connor.
Executive Producers: Noah Centineo & Anita Gou.
Main Cast: Will Poulter, Noah Centineo, Elise Kibler, Emily Meade, Annette Deao, Danny Wolohan, & Kevin P. Braig.
Cinematographer: Stefan Weinberger.
Composer: Celia Hollander.
Editors: Adam Meeks & Sean Weiner.
Production Companies: Ley Line Entertainment & Seaview Productions.
Distributor: TBA.
Runtime: 97 minutes.
