Will Poulter Film Shows Hope After Addiction in Ohio

Will Poulter's new film "Union County" is bringing hope to one of America's toughest battles: opioid addiction recovery. The docudrama, which premiered at Sundance 2025, was made in partnership with a real drug rehabilitation program in Union County, Ohio, and features personal stories from people who've walked the path to sobriety.

Director Adam Meeks made an unusual choice for an addiction story. Instead of focusing on dramatic relapses and tearful breakdowns, he shows the harder part: the small, daily decisions that lead someone back to health.

Poulter plays Cody Parsons, a young man in recovery who blames himself for introducing his brother Jack (played by Noah Centineo) to heroin. But Cody doesn't dominate the screen. He spends much of the film listening as real people share their own addiction experiences at support group meetings.

The film shows Union County's natural beauty alongside its struggles. Rolling green hills and two-lane highways become the backdrop for stories about stick-and-poke tattoos, cigarettes at Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and bedrooms in sober living houses where paper scraps on the wall tell stories of people trying to rebuild their lives.

Program counselor Annette Deao plays herself in the film, representing the real support system that helps people recover. As Cody opens up through conversations with Annette and a new friend named Kim (Sylvie Mix), viewers see how recovery isn't one big moment but hundreds of small acts of courage.

Why This Inspires

What makes "Union County" special is its refusal to sensationalize. By partnering with an actual rehab program and centering real voices, the film honors the dignity of people fighting addiction every day. It reminds us that recovery is possible, even when the path forward is quiet and unglamorous.

The film shows that the most shocking parts of addiction often happen off-screen. What matters more is what comes after: the morning light, the honest conversations, the choice not to use today.

"Union County" proves that hope doesn't always arrive with fireworks—sometimes it comes in the form of one person choosing to show up for themselves, again and again.