The Kitchen Plot Summary
The film is set in a dystopian London, a future where people have been deprived of homes. Moreover, people have been deprived of basic human facilities like bathrooms. The protagonist, Isaac or Izi, is a member of a community called The Kitchen who robs government trucks to provide for their community, be it medicines or food.
They aren’t someone whom you’d call a sight for sore eyes for the government, and they want them to vacate the Kitchen and move someplace else. Isaac also harbors a dream; he wants to own a lavish home in Buena Vida and has been working his sweat off in what appears to be a funeral home to gather funds.
However, Isaac’s desire to buy a 1-flat condo in the posh locale takes a back seat when he crosses paths with Benji, the ward of Toni Clarke, Issac’s ex-girlfriend. Bennzi notices Issac at his mother’s funeral and tries to connect with him, believing Issac to be her mother’s friend. Issac tries his best to keep his distance from Benzi for obvious reasons, but Benzi suspects Issac to be his father, which Tony had told him about.
Why did Izi agree to take in Benzi?
Life in the Kitchen is not all sunshine and rainbows as police often raid the community, arrest people, and subject them to brutal thrashing, no matter if they’re innocent or guilty. It’s the government’s way of trying to force the last remaining population of the Kitchen to leave and go somewhere else.
The Kitchen is run by an old man, whom people refer to as the Kitchener, who every day takes to the radio, asking the residents not to lose hope in the face of police brutality and keep their spirits high. Eli becomes a part of the Kitchen after he starts hanging out with a group that often steals supplies and other people to put food on their table.
They’re arrested and taken to jail, but Benzi is able to evade cops, thanks to Isaac. Isaac asks Benzi to steer clear of those people, and he agrees, only if Isaac allows Benzi to stay with him for a while. This marks the beginning of Benzi’s friendship with Isaac. The latter also takes him to his work, so Benzi can help Isaac make his target, and earn a good commission.
With time, they become good friends, sharing the tidbits, negatives, and positives of their lives. In one instance, we even see Isaac trying to apply for a double occupancy flat so he can live with Benzi.
Eventually, Benzi confesses that he knows Isaac is his father, and he fears that Isaac will abandon him, just like Isaac abandoned Benzi’s mother. Well! Benzi’s mother wasn’t entirely wrong; soon after, Isaac leaves Benzi and moves to his new apartment complex.
What happened to Lord Kitchener?
Things take a dire turn when the police raid the Kitchen, arresting and beating its occupants. Unfortunately, Lord Kitchener, the voice of the community, didn’t make it and was killed by the police.
This instigates fear among the community, and many of them move out of the Kitchen, fearing for their life and well-being. Isaac learns about Kitchener’s death when people gather at the funeral home to bid their final goodbye to the man who did their best to give them hope and courage.
After Kitchener’s death, Staples, one of the residents of the Kitchen, wages a war against the police and the city. They vandalize properties, rob shops and people, and whatnot, all under Staples’ orders.
What happened to Isaac and Benzi?
Kitchener’s death changes Isaac, and he returns to the kitchen to be with Benzi. Unfortunately, soon after they shake hands, the entire Kitchen is once again surrounded by the police force. They attack and arrest whoever they can find, forcing everyone to flee for their lives. Staples and a few of his men corner the police, planning to return the favor.
Staples orders his men to attack the cops with stones, and from what it appears, Staples is ready to have his men kill the cops to avenge Kitchener’s death. As for Isaac and Benzi, they, too, find themselves in the crossfire. To protect themselves, Isaac and Benzi take refuge in one of the rooms, where Isaac finally accepts that he is indeed Benzi’s father.
We also hear a loud bang on the door, implying that the cops who were chasing them have finally caught up to them, marking the end of the film.
Read More: The Kitchen Movie Review