View source for The Kitchen (2019 film)

{{Short description|Film by Andrea Berloff}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Kitchen
| image          = The Kitchen poster.jpeg

| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Andrea Berloff]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael De Luca]]
* Marcus Viscidi 
}}
| writer         = Andrea Berloff
| based_on       = {{Based on|''The Kitchen''|Ollie Masters|Ming Doyle}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Melissa McCarthy]]
* [[Tiffany Haddish]]
* [[Elisabeth Moss]]
* [[Domhnall Gleeson]]
* [[James Badge Dale]]
* [[Brian d'Arcy James]]
* [[Margo Martindale]]
* [[Common (rapper)|Common]]
* [[Bill Camp]]
}}
| music          = [[Bryce Dessner]]
| cinematography = [[Maryse Alberti]]
| editing        = [[Christopher Tellefsen]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[New Line Cinema]]
* [[Bron Studios|Bron Creative]]
* [[DC Vertigo]] 
* Michael De Luca Productions
}}
| distributor    = [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|2019|08|09|United States}}
| runtime        = 102 minutes<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/kitchen-film|title=''The Kitchen'' (15)|website=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=July 18, 2019|access-date=July 21, 2019}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $38 million<ref name="BOM" /><ref name="NUM">{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Kitchen-The-(2019)#tab=summary |title=''The Kitchen'' (2019) |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=September 9, 2019 }}</ref>
| gross          = $16 million<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=thekitchen2019.htm|title=''The Kitchen'' (2019)|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 22, 2019}}</ref>
}}

'''''The Kitchen''''' is a 2019 American [[crime film]] written and directed by [[Andrea Berloff]] in her directorial debut. It is based on the [[DC Comics|DC]]/[[Vertigo Comics]] [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] of the same name by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle. The film stars [[Melissa McCarthy]], [[Tiffany Haddish]], and [[Elisabeth Moss]] as the wives of Irish American mobsters who take over organized crime operations in New York's [[Hell's Kitchen]] in the late 1970s, after the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] arrests their husbands. The film also features [[Domhnall Gleeson]], [[James Badge Dale]], [[Brian d'Arcy James]], [[Jeremy Bobb]], [[Margo Martindale]], [[Common (rapper)|Common]], and [[Bill Camp]] in supporting roles.

Produced by [[New Line Cinema]], [[Bron Studios|Bron Creative]], and Michael De Luca Productions, the film was theatrically released in the United States on August 9, 2019, by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]. It received mostly negative reviews from critics, who criticized the convoluted plot, and grossed $16 million against its $38 million budget, making the film a [[box-office bomb]].

==Plot==
In [[Hell's Kitchen]] 1978, three women are married to members of the [[Irish mob|O'Carroll crime family]]. Kathy is married to Jimmy, a kind man who is increasingly disillusioned with the mob; Ruby is married to Kevin, the son of boss Helen O'Carroll; and Claire is married to Rob, who frequently beats and abuses her.

One night, the men are arrested in a sting by FBI agents and are each sentenced to three years in prison. Jack "Little Jackie" Quinn assumes Kevin's role in the family and assures the wives that they'll be cared for, but provides them barely enough to live on. When the women discover that many of the businesses that pay the family protection money are upset with Little Jackie forcing them to pay more, they persuade the owners to start paying them instead and provide other favors for their neighbors, making a profit and earning the respect of the community. Jackie finds out and confronts the women, but is subsequently assassinated by Gabriel O'Malley, a disgraced Irish mob enforcer called in by Ruby. With Jackie out of the way and Gabriel backing them up, the women effectively control the family, while Gabriel and Claire begin a relationship.

After successfully "persuading" the local Jewish community to only hire Irish American Union workers to construct their buildings, the women are ordered to meet with Alfonso Coretti, the head of Brooklyn's [[Italian-American Mafia|Italian Mafia]] who is furious with Irish Americans encroaching on his territory. He insists that they start dealing with him and reveals that their husbands are set to be released in four months, which they hadn't realized. Knowing that they are in a precarious position, Coretti says he'll support them and split control of the city in return for Italian Americans getting construction jobs in Hell's Kitchen. The women agree knowing they have no other choice. Ruby subsequently kills Helen in a rage when she learns that her mother-in-law disapproves of her being married to Kevin and would almost certainly force him to divorce her when he returns.

Four months pass and the husbands are released; Kevin is determined to reassert his power as Helen's heir, Jimmy pressures Kathy to help him leave their life of crime and start over, and Rob is furious that Claire has left him for Gabriel. When Rob strikes Claire for refusing to take him back, she pulls a gun from under her pillow and kills him. Coretti then contacts the women and warns them that Kevin, backed by other members of the family, has ordered them to be whacked for the deaths of Helen and Rob. Ruby then pays the Coretti family to have her husband and his friends murdered, but Kathy makes her drop Colin, whom she is fond of, from the list. The hit goes through, but Claire is then killed by Colin in an act of revenge.

After Claire's funeral, Kathy realizes that Ruby has been secretly keeping an FBI agent on the family's payroll. Ruby explains that she set up their husbands to be arrested, as Kevin refused to let her have a role in the family. Kathy later finds that Jimmy is being sheltered by the Coretti family and taken their children with him out of anger for Kathy not respecting his wishes and not treating him as an equal in their relationship. Feeling betrayed, Kathy informs Coretti that her husband no longer has the family's protection, and Jimmy is whacked.

Ruby asks Kathy to meet her so they can discuss what to do next. When Kathy arrives, she finds that Ruby is waiting with Gabriel to kill her so she can take over as sole boss. Having anticipated this, Kathy reconciles with the O'Carroll family and brings all of their muscle as backup to the meeting. Gabriel admits that with Claire dead, he no longer has any ties to the mob and deserts Ruby. Kathy tells Ruby that from now on, they will share the responsibility of leading the family. The film ends with Kathy and Ruby making plans to expand their territory to Uptown.

==Cast==
<!-- Cast and order per closing tombstone credits, roles per closing credits scroll -->
{{Cast listing|
* [[Melissa McCarthy]] as Kathy Brennan, Jimmy's wife, devoted mother of Peter and Jennifer. Initially reluctant to enter the criminal domain, she excels through her deft abilities.
* [[Tiffany Haddish]] as Ruby O'Carroll, Kevin's wife and an outsider in the Irish community who seeks self-sufficiency once her husband is not around to protect her.
* [[Elisabeth Moss]] as Claire Walsh, Rob's wife, an initially timid woman who falls in love with the violence of her new life. After years of abuse by Rob, she falls for the loving Gabriel.
* [[Domhnall Gleeson]] as Gabriel O'Malley, an intense and mentally unstable [[Vietnam War|Vietnam veteran]] who worked for the Irish mob as a hitman before skipping town to avoid the police. He later returns to help Claire when the wives take over.
* [[James Badge Dale]] as Kevin O'Carroll, Ruby's husband and Helen's son. He loves his wife but is unwilling to involve her in his family's business.
* [[Brian d'Arcy James]] as Jimmy Brennan, Kathy's husband, who wishes to leave the mob against her wishes.
* [[Margo Martindale]] as Helen O'Carroll, Kevin's mother who runs the Irish mob behind the scenes.
* [[Common (rapper)|Common]] as Gary Silvers, an FBI agent on the payroll of the O'Carroll family.
* [[Bill Camp]] as Alfonso Coretti, boss of a Brooklyn Italian crime family.
* [[Jeremy Bobb]] as Rob Walsh, Claire's abusive, controlling husband and a member of the O'Carroll family.
* [[E.J. Bonilla]] as Gonzalo Martinez, Gary's FBI partner.
* [[Wayne Duvall]] as Larry, Kathy's father.
* [[Annabella Sciorra]] as Maria Coretti, Alfonso's wife.
* [[Myk Watford]] as Jack 'Little Jackie' Quinn, an Irish mobster who takes over the family after Kevin's arrest.
}}

==Production==
{{Anchor|Development}}
In February 2017, [[Andrea Berloff]] signed on to direct an adaptation of ''The Kitchen'', a [[Vertigo (DC Comics)|Vertigo]] comic book miniseries by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle. Berloff had already been commissioned to write the screenplay for the film, but she impressed executives at [[New Line Cinema]], the film's production company, with her "edgy and subversive" perspective.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/new-lines-female-driven-mob-story-kitchen-finds-director-976538|title=New Line's Female-Driven Mob Story ''The Kitchen'' Finds Director (Exclusive)|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> The film is her directorial debut.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/08/09/749932921/director-andrea-berloff-on-the-kitchen-and-how-hollywood-approaches-women-led-pr|title=Director Andrea Berloff On 'The Kitchen' And How Hollywood Approaches Women-Led Projects|work=NPR|date=August 9, 2019|access-date=October 31, 2020}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Casting}}
In November 2017, [[Tiffany Haddish]], off of a breakthrough performance in ''[[Girls Trip]]'', signed on as one of the film's three female leads.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/tiffany-haddish-girls-trip-new-line-universal-1202614732/|title=''Girls Trip'' Breakout Tiffany Haddish Sets Two Movies With New Line and Universal (Exclusive)|last=Kroll|first=Justin|date=2017-11-15|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> In February 2018, [[Melissa McCarthy]] came on board for another lead role,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2018/02/melissa-mccarthy-the-kitchen-tiffany-haddish-new-line-dc-entertainment-andrea-berloff-1202287146/|title=Melissa McCarthy To Star With Tiffany Haddish In New Line's ''The Kitchen''|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|date=2018-02-13|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> and in March 2018, [[Elisabeth Moss]] was cast as the last of the three leads, while [[Margo Martindale]], [[Bill Camp]], and [[Brian d'Arcy James]] were also added.<ref name="MossCast">{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/elisabeth-moss-joins-tiffany-haddish-mob-drama-kitchen-1094748|title=Elisabeth Moss Joins Tiffany Haddish in Mob Drama ''The Kitchen'' (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|author1=Mia Galuppo|author2=Borys Kitt|date=March 19, 2018|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref><ref name="ThreeMoreJoin">{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/margo-martindale-joins-melissa-mccarthy-new-line-crime-drama-kitchen-1098402|title=Margo Martindale Joins Melissa McCarthy in New Line Crime Drama ''The Kitchen'' (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> In April 2018, [[Domhnall Gleeson]], [[Common (rapper)|Common]], [[James Badge Dale]], [[Jeremy Bobb]], and [[Alicia Coppola]] joined the cast,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/domhnall-gleeson-talks-join-elisabeth-moss-new-line-crime-drama-kitchen-1103165|title=Domhnall Gleeson in Talks to Join Elisabeth Moss in New Line Crime Drama ''The Kitchen'' (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/common-james-badge-dale-melissa-mccarthy-tiffany-haddish-the-kitchen-1202367448/|title=Common in Negotiations & James Badge Dale Set to Join Melissa McCarthy & Tiffany Haddish in ''The Kitchen''|last=N'Duka|first=Amanda|date=2018-04-18|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/alicia-coppola-dc-the-kitchen-devon-bostick-words-on-bathroom-walls-1202378390/|title=Alicia Coppola Cast in DC Film ''The Kitchen''; Devon Bostick Joins ''Words On Bathroom Walls''|last=N'Duka|first=Amanda|date=2018-04-27|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> and in May 2018, [[James Ciccone]] was added as well.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 21, 2018 |author= Nick Christophers |title= Upcoming Mob Flick Features Talented Actor James Ciccone |url= https://fullaccessnyc.com/2018/05/20/upcoming-mob-flick-features-talented-actor-james-ciccone/ |website= Full Access NYC }}</ref> Coppola did not appear in the finished film.

{{Anchor|Filming|Locations}}
[[Principal photography]] began on May 7, 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://omegaunderground.com/2018/03/14/tiffany-haddishs-comic-book-flick-the-kitchen-starts-shooting-this-may-in-nyc/|title=Tiffany Haddish's Comic Book Flick ''The Kitchen'' Starts Shooting This May In NYC|website=omegaunderground.com|access-date=2018-05-08|archive-date=8 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508055045/https://omegaunderground.com/2018/03/14/tiffany-haddishs-comic-book-flick-the-kitchen-starts-shooting-this-may-in-nyc/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in [[New York City]], and wrapped in September 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://omegaunderground.com/2018/06/12/new-lines-comic-book-crime-flick-the-kitchen-wraps-at-the-end-of-september/|title=New Line's Comic Book Crime Flick ''The Kitchen'' Wraps at the End of September|website=omegaunderground|access-date=2018-07-14|archive-date=15 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011613/https://omegaunderground.com/2018/06/12/new-lines-comic-book-crime-flick-the-kitchen-wraps-at-the-end-of-september/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Release==
''The Kitchen'' was released on August 9, 2019, by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Ramos|first=Dino-Ray|title=Warner Bros. Moves ''The Kitchen'' Release Date|url=https://deadline.com/2019/02/warner-bros-the-kitchen-release-date-melissa-mccarthy-tiffany-haddish-new-line-dc-entertainment-1202566007/|access-date=February 27, 2018|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 26, 2018}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
In the United States and Canada, ''The Kitchen'' was released alongside ''[[Dora and the Lost City of Gold]]'', ''[[The Art of Racing in the Rain (film)|The Art of Racing in the Rain]]'', ''[[Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (film)|Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark]]'' and ''[[Brian Banks (film)|Brian Banks]]'', and was projected to gross $9–14 million in its opening weekend. Playing at 2,742 theaters, it was the smallest wide release of McCarthy's career.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/will-dora-and-the-lost-city-of-gold-catch-the-box-office-crown-from-hobbs-and-shaw/|title=Will ''Dora and the Lost City of Gold'' Catch the Box Office Crown From ''Hobbs and Shaw''?|website=[[TheWrap]]|first=Jeremy |last=Fuster|date=August 6, 2019|access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/hobbs-shaw-dora-the-explorer-scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-weekend-box-office-preview-1202663356/ |title=''Hobbs & Shaw'' To Swat Away Five Wide Releases Including ''Dora'', ''Scary Stories'' & More – Box Office Preview|last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=August 7, 2019 |access-date=August 7, 2019 }}</ref> After making $1.8 million on its first day, estimates were lowered to $5–6 million. The film ended up debuting to $5.5 million, the worst opening weekend of both McCarthy and Haddish's careers.<ref name="opening">{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/dora-and-the-lost-city-of-gold-hobbs-shaw-the-kitchen-box-office-weekend-1202665153/|title=''Hobbs'' Hauls $25M; ''Scary Stories'' Frighten ''Dora''; ''Kitchen'' Sinks Melissa McCarthy & Tiffany Haddish To Career B.O. Lows – Saturday AM Update|last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=August 11, 2019 |access-date=August 11, 2019 }}</ref> The film dropped 60% in its second weekend to $2.2 million before being pulled from 2,125 theaters in its third weekend and making just $342,506.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=thekitchen2019.htm|title=''The Kitchen'' (2019) – Weekend Results |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=August 27, 2019 }}</ref> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' estimated the film would lose "tens of millions" for the studio, although noted it could find success in home media.<ref name=losses>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-bust-goldfinch-lose-40m-50m-warner-bros-amazon-1239816|title='The Goldfinch' Bomb May Lose Up to $50M for Warner Bros., Amazon Studios|last=McClintock|first=Pamela|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=September 16, 2019|access-date=September 18, 2019}}</ref>

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval percentage of 24% based on 232 reviews and a rating of 4.50 out of 10. The critics consensus reads: "With three talented leads struggling to prop up a sagging story, ''The Kitchen'' is a jumbled crime thriller in urgent need of some heavy-duty renovation."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Kitchen|work=Rotten Tomatoes|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_kitchen}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 35 out of 100 based on 42 critic reviews, meaning "Generally Unfavorable".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Kitchen|work=Metacritic|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-kitchen-2019/}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|title=Home - Cinemascore|work=cinemascore.com|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/}}</ref>

''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''{{'}}s [[Owen Gleiberman]] described the film as "just like ''[[Widows (2018 film)|Widows]]'', except not as good." Gleiberman was critical of the script but praised McCarthy's fierce performance, wished Tiffany Haddish had more to do, and that Margo Martindale had a bigger role.<ref>{{cite web |date= August 8, 2019 |last= Gleiberman |first= Owen |author-link= Owen Gleiberman |title= Film Review: ''The Kitchen'' |url= https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-kitchen-review-melissa-mccarthy-tiffany-haddish-elisabeth-moss-1203293593/ |website= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=August 10, 2019}}</ref> [[Ty Burr]] of ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' wrote, "There's only one [[Martin Scorsese|Scorsese]], and he ain't here."<ref>{{cite web |date= August 7, 2019 |author=Ty Burr |author-link= Ty Burr |title= A ''Kitchen'' where you get that sinking feeling |url= https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2019/08/07/kitchen-where-you-get-that-sinking-feeling/yAIHdue6P17BP0iH7lO5iI/story.html |website= [[The Boston Globe]] }}</ref>

Mick LaSalle of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' wrote: "Speaking of female gangsters, no review of ''The Kitchen'' should overlook Margo Martindale, who steals every scene she's in as a mob matriarch – a gravelly voiced monster with a gutter mouth and a big photo of John F. Kennedy on her wall. Martindale gets to be evil and has as much fun onscreen as she can without smiling."<ref name="sfchronicle">{{cite web |date= August 7, 2019 |author1= Mick LaSalle |author-link1= Mick LaSalle |title= Review: McCarthy, Moss and Haddish are terrific mobsters in ''The Kitchen''|url= https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-mccarthy-moss-and-haddish-are-terrific-mobsters-in-the-kitchen |website= [[San Francisco Chronicle]] |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190808022405/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-mccarthy-moss-and-haddish-are-terrific-mobsters-in-the-kitchen |archive-date= 2019-08-08 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{AllMovie title}}

{{DC Comics films}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States|1970s}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitchen (2019 film), The}}
[[Category:2019 films]]
[[Category:2019 crime drama films]]
[[Category:2019 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2010s American films]]
[[Category:2010s English-language films]]
[[Category:2010s female buddy films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American female buddy films]]
[[Category:Films about the American Mafia]]
[[Category:Films about the Irish Mob]]
[[Category:Films based on American comics]]
[[Category:Films based on Vertigo Comics titles]]
[[Category:Films produced by Michael De Luca]]
[[Category:Films set in 1978]]
[[Category:Films set in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Films set in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Andrea Berloff]]
[[Category:Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan]]
[[Category:Live-action films based on DC Comics]]
[[Category:Fiction about mariticide]]
[[Category:New Line Cinema films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Bryce Dessner]]
[[Category:English-language buddy films]]