Union County

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Union County

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1h 37m

Drama

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95%

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59 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Will Poulter and Noah Centineo deliver pitch-perfect performances as brothers Cody and Jack Parsons, each navigating a court-mandated drug rehabilitation program in a pocket of rural Ohio hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Provided with hope for the first time since their struggles began and with the support of a tireless counselor (Annette Deao), the brothers work toward a brighter, sober future. Poulter and Centineo blend seamlessly with a supporting cast composed predominantly of non-professional actors as they share their actual experiences, pain, and optimism as they, themselves, navigate the program. Ohio-born filmmaker Adam Meeks creates a film imbued with realism for an honest, compassionate portrait of a battle being fought across America and the solidarity that flowers on its front lines.

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Critics Consensus

Union County is an austere yet deeply compassionate portrait of addiction and recovery, finding clear-eyed humanity in the difficult, often cyclical work of rebuilding lives.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Aug 14

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.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Aug 14

3/4

This riveting mix of fact and fiction puts real opioid addicts in competition with actors to see who can play addiction best. It’s no contest.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Aug 14

4/4

[It] succeeds as an intimate story about addicts fighting inner demons that ended many lives, but also as austere cinematic object that draws on cinema’s past for inspiration but never feels imitative or coldly theoretical.

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Joe Creely

In Review Online

6d

Where lesser filmmakers could have allowed this to develop like a cheap shortcut to authenticity, in execution here the characters’ looks of pride...gives the film it’s brightest light amidst the dark.

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Joel Copling

Spectrum Culture

Aug 17

A debut feature about the pervasiveness of addiction, the difficulties of rehabilitation and the cold efficiency of the justice system carries a documentarylike realism and a natural grace.

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Andrew Parker

The Gate

Aug 15

9/10

Meeks’ observational skills and attention to detail are strong, with nothing ever feeling forced or out of place. The truths here are clear, evident, and unembellished.

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Tyler C

@RT37052517 Aug 18

Union County takes a raw look at addiction, recovery, and the people who live and walk that path daily. With an all to real narrative backed up by extremely strong performances Union County delivers a glimpse into a world some might have never seen and many choose to actively look away from.

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Grace E

@GraceReviews26 Aug 17

it is a touching film about addiction, recovery and hope. Will Poulter and Noah Centineo give strong performances, making the story feel realistic and emotional. Overall, it is a meaningful film with an inspiring message.

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Bill E

@BillEAZ7448 Aug 15

A good, hard hitting representation on drug addiction in the Ohio valley. What carries this film is the superb acting, and use of addicts who have gone through the program. This is a “slow burn” but worth the time investment.

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Silke S

@Silkeway Aug 15

Union County is an addiction movie that doesn't shout; it sits with you quietly, and it's devastating for it. Adam Meeks' debut refuses melodrama for something harder: a compassionate look at people reassembling lives that addiction scattered to pieces. Will Poulter anchors it as Cody Parsons with a rawness that never feels like performance, the wary courage of someone who's failed before and knows the odds. But Noah Centineo quietly walks away with the film. As Jack, he's luminous and heartbreaking, the lovable people-pleaser who lights up every room so no one sees the darkness he's carrying. He deflects his pain with a grin, terrified of being a burden, and Centineo plays it so tenderly you ache. Sharing the screen with real recovery-program participants, the seams vanish. The result is a window into forgiveness, the hope of normalcy, and small acts of love on the front lines of a national tragedy. No easy answers, just honesty and empathy. A deeply sad, deeply human triumph.

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John B

@jbosc Aug 14

Very good film. One might say a success. One might even say that the film was a success within its 1 hour and 37 minute time frame. But to state ONLY the duration of the film in a "review" is a pointless waste of time for the apathetic dead. And an even bigger waste of time if that is all you wrote about every movie in a review.

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Adam Meeks

Director

Will Poulter

Cody Parsons

Noah Centineo

Jack

Elise Kibler

Actor

Emily Meade

Actor

Annette Deao

Annette

Union County: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Will Poulter and Noah Centineo deliver pitch-perfect performances as brothers Cody and Jack Parsons, each navigating a court-mandated drug rehabilitation program in a pocket of rural Ohio hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Provided with hope for the first time since their struggles began and with the support of a tireless counselor (Annette Deao), the brothers work toward a brighter, sober future. Poulter and Centineo blend seamlessly with a supporting cast composed predominantly of non-professional actors as they share their actual experiences, pain, and optimism as they, themselves, navigate the program. Ohio-born filmmaker Adam Meeks creates a film imbued with realism for an honest, compassionate portrait of a battle being fought across America and the solidarity that flowers on its front lines.

Director: Adam Meeks
Producer: Brad Becker-Parton, Martha Gregory, Stephanie Roush, Faye Tsakas, Sean Weiner, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, Ellyn Daniels, Will O'Connor, Will Poulter
Screenwriter: Adam Meeks
Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co: Seaview, Arkhum Productions, Kindred Spirit
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 14, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 37m

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