Boiling Point (2021)
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A high-pressure night in a London restaurant kitchen spirals into chaos as a head chef struggles to maintain control amidst a series of escalating mishaps.
The story
Andy Jones, the head chef of an upmarket London restaurant, faces a crisis after a food hygiene audit results in a lower rating. As the kitchen prepares for a demanding dinner service, the pressure mounts due to an overbooked evening, a looming marriage proposal, and the presence of a high-profile celebrity chef and a harsh food critic. The atmosphere becomes increasingly tense as the kitchen staff and front-of-house staff navigate a series of logistical hurdles and interpersonal conflicts. Amidst the heat of the kitchen, the staff must contend with various complications, including a severe allergy and the demands of demanding guests, while Andy tries to manage his mounting frustration and the escalating demands of his superiors.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Andy Jones, the head chef of Jones & Sons in London, is distressed by a drop in the restaurant's hygiene rating. During a high-stakes dinner service, the kitchen faces a barrage of complications: an overbooked floor, a marriage proposal, and a visit from celebrity chef Alastair Skye and critic Sara Southworth. Tensions peak when a guest with a nut allergy suffers a severe reaction caused by a mistake involving walnut oil. Alastair demands that the head chef's assistant, Carly, be made the scapegoat for the error. This leads to a confrontation where Carly realizes she is not valued and decides to quit. Following a heated argument with his staff and a confrontation with Alastair over a debt, Andy suffers a mental breakdown in his office. He consumes alcohol and drugs before collapsing to the ground as his staff hears him calling out.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Philip Barantini
- Writers
- Philip Barantini · writer; James Cummings · writer
- Cast and characters
- Stephen Graham · Andy Jones; Vinette Robinson; Ray Panthaki; Hannah Walters
- Genres
- drama; thriller
- Themes
- alcoholism; substance abuse; workplace stress; harassment
- Tone and mood
- tense; nerve-jangling
- Premise and plot tags
- one-shot; cooking; real-time
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2019 short film
- Franchise connections
- Television series
- Content notes
- substance abuse
- Reception
- The film met with critical acclaim, receiving many positive reviews in the British and European press.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Awards and nominations
- British Academy Film Awards · Outstanding British Film · nomination; British Academy Film Awards · Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in a real restaurant called Jones & Sons in Dalston, London.; The film was filmed in one take.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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