Will Poulter Noah Centineo on Union County connection

In the world of recovery, finding a miracle isn’t always about a sudden cure; sometimes it’s about finding the sustaining power to simply wake up every day and choose what to do next. This profound realization forms the emotional bedrock of Adam Meeks’ feature, Union County.

The film offers tranquility amidst a deeply difficult journey of recovery. It manages to lend this quality of peace to a story that is often fraught with pain, showcasing how finding strength through community can lead to steady steps toward healing and betterment.

At the heart of the narrative are Will Poulter, playing Cody Parsons—a young man navigating incarceration and mandated recovery in rural Ohio—and Noah Centineo, who portrays his foster brother, Jack. Both characters grapple with the constant fear of relapse and the weight of past demons, learning to live moment by moment while confronting their struggle.

Authenticity in Storytelling

Meeks approached this story not as an impositional filmmaker but as an observer. His collaboration with the community proved essential to the film’s unique texture. Union County was created in partnership with participants in an adult recovery court program in Bellefontaine in 2025, incorporating real court hearings and recovery meetings into the narrative.

This commitment to reality extended to the actors themselves. Poulter and Centineo reflected on their experience working through themes of addiction and redemption. They discussed how different facets of their careers—including intense action films like Warfare and stories like Dopesick—provided them with a unique vantage point for understanding the complexities of substance use disorder.

The Power of Connection

A central theme explored in the film is the vital role of trust. As Poulter and Centineo noted, while society often responds to addiction with reductive judgment, recovery programs demonstrate a profoundly humanizing approach. This emphasis on listening and holistic support creates a space where participants find connection—a sense of being around like-minded people committed to making better choices.

The dynamic between the characters and their community illuminates this truth. The film showcases how accountability, from the system holding participants to the participants holding themselves, is what allows trust to blossom. It moves beyond punitive measures to recognize that recovery is not just about abstinence, but about genuine human connection.

Ultimately, Union County serves as a powerful statement against the stigma surrounding addiction. By celebrating the progress and success achieved within this program—which boasts a success rate of over 50%—the film calls for greater grace and empathy in our society. It encourages us to look past stereotypes and recognize the incredible resilience of those on their path to healing.

The story reminds us that the most impactful narratives are those that operate at a different, more tender register, challenging the sensationalism of Hollywood and emphasizing the enduring human capacity for recovery.