Union County

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2:12

Union County

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1h 37m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

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57 Reviews

Popcornmeter

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

1d

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

1d

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

1d

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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Andrew Parker

The Gate

10h

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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John Urbancich

JMuvies

1d

3.5/5

Oh, the humanity in a little indie tackling the big problem so simply called drug addiction in a state, country, and world filled with too many narratives like the ones competently shared now by debut feature filmmaker Adam Meeks.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

1d

I admire what they are trying to do but the story wasn't compelling

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Silke S

@Silkeway 20h

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 1d

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

2:12

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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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