Directed by Adam Meeks and starring Will Poulter, the indie drama Union County premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Set against the backdrop of the opioid epidemic in central Ohio, the film follows a man navigating a county-mandated drug court program, blending scripted performances with real-life testimonies from individuals in recovery.
Here is the kicker.
Enter Adam Meeks and his understated, deeply humane feature debut, which just shook up the Eccles Theatre at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
The Bottom Line
- The Premise: Union County follows Cody (Will Poulter), a man navigating a county-mandated drug court program in central Ohio who reconnects with his foster brother, Jack (Noah Centineo).
- The Reality Factor: Writer-director Adam Meeks populated his courtroom and sober support scenes entirely with real people in recovery, featuring unscripted testimonies from individuals interacting with actors in real time.
- The Festival Debut: The film premiered on January 25, 2026, as an official selection in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance.
How Adam Meeks Found Hope in the Rust Belt
Meeks took a radically different path. Growing up in central Ohio until he was six, the writer-director returned as an adult and discovered something entirely unexpected in the shadows of the epidemic: a functioning, deeply empathetic community network.
According to Sundance reporting, Meeks’ uncle introduced him to a local drug court judge, inviting him to sit in on a support meeting. What he witnessed completely upended the dominant cultural narrative. Instead of sheer tragedy, he found people actively getting their lives back. That single afternoon planted the seeds for his 2020 short film, which has now expanded into a fully realized feature making waves on the festival circuit.
At the center of that real-world ecosystem is Annette Deao, a veteran counselor who has spent 38 years in the field, including 22 years in recovery courts. Meeks didn’t just consult Deao; he cast her as herself. Deao noted during the post-premiere Q&A, “I’ve worked in this field for 38 years—22 in recovery courts. And to have someone from the outside come in and see what Adam has a vision for was just so special.”
Blurring the Line Between Fiction and Lived Experience
Casting Hollywood heavyweights like Will Poulter and Noah Centineo alongside nonactors is always a tightrope walk. When Cody steps up to the podium in a courtroom or support group, the people reacting to him aren’t background extras hitting their marks.
“Anybody who’s speaking besides Will and Noah’s character—anybody who’s speaking in the courtroom or sober support meetings are all folks in recovery who were in attendance that day and interacting in real time,” Meeks revealed during the Sundance Q&A. “None of that is scripted, and our actors were in the room in character and would step up to the podium when called.”
As Poulter put it during the post-screening discussion, “I think sometimes the biggest challenge was that all the participants are giving a far better performance than you’re able to give.”
Indie Cinema’s Shift Toward Radical Empathy
| Production Detail | Fact / Sourced Element |
|---|---|
| Director & Writer | Adam Meeks |
| Key Cast | Will Poulter (Cody), Noah Centineo (Jack), Annette Deao (Self) |
| Festival Premiere | January 25, 2026, Eccles Theatre (Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Competition) |
| Setting | Central Ohio |
| Production Origin | Expansion of Meeks’ 2020 short film of the same name |
