Sundance 2026 Review: Union County

Assigned to a county-mandated drug court program, Cody Parsons embarks on the tenuous journey toward recovery amid the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio.

Returning to his hometown to received drug addiction treatment, Cody struggles to reorient himself and connect with those around him; he is living inside of a car and finding himself being taken back into the world of having one more fix by his foster brother.

Having local non-actors mix with the professional leads was a smart move by filmmaker Adam Meeks as the performances avoid coming across staged. There is a normalcy that is present in how the action unfolds and how people interact with one another that is a double-edge sword in that is life is peaceful and stagnant.  The line which suggests that the two brothers will be a positive influence during the court proceedings forewarns that the opposite is going to occur.  Noah Centineo has the showy performance of the free-spirited Jack, while Will Poulter has more understated role and goes long periods without saying a word of dialogue.   Annette Deao, who starred in the original short film, does not waste the opportunity as her empathetic portrayal of Annette allows for an element of hope to exist within the legal system.

A couple of interesting shots take place within a car. The first being the static shot which sees Cody leave the vehicle and walk up to the front door of the drug dealer. The other happens afterwards when the unbraked car starts roll while the two brothers are high.  The recovery session enables exposition to take place as Cody explains why he has a strained relationship with his sister.  The talking head sections, where the various recovering addicts stand before the judge breaks up the proceedings and emphasizes the communal and personal impact of the opioid crisis. Nothing is marginalized and simplified. With that being said the best remedy comes from those willing to listen and give a hug as their acts of compassion make those suffering realize that they are not alone.

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival takes place January 22 to Feb. 1  2026, in person and online, and for more information visit sundance.org.

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.