Coffee Wars (2023)

Coffee Wars (2023)

A funny script and a noble cause get lost somewhere in the movie’s grating sense of style

6.6

Movie

English
Comedy, Drama
2023
RANDALL MILLER
Freddie Fox, Hugh Dennis, Jenny Rainsford
104 min

TLDR

It’s the movie that Mother Earth needs, but not what it deserves.

What it's about

When increasing costs threaten to end her dream of serving the best plant-based coffee in the world, environmental activist and cafe owner Jo (Kate Nash) enters a global competition that puts not just her skills but her principles to the test.

The take

“There is no ethical consumption under capitalism,” a famous socialist belief goes, but like many activists, Jo is trying to curb that. She marries her two conflicting passions, coffee and the environment, by establishing a vegan cafe that only serves plant-based drinks. If a customer so much as mentions dairy, they're humiliated before being kicked out of the place. It’s both impressively assertive and gratingly obnoxious, which is something you could also say about the tone the entire film strikes. It’s well-meaning in its attempt to shed light on the ongoing climate crisis, but rather tone-deaf in trying to place the blame on everyday consumers rather than large-scale corporations. The editing choices, while meant to be cheeky, also go overboard with the cuts and colors, making it more annoying than anything else. Which is a shame, because apart from a noble cause, Coffee Wars also has a funny script and engaging performances going for it. It also gives us an insightful look into the highly competitive coffee tournaments being staged around the world. If only Coffee Wars let things brew for longer, maybe removed some elements and expanded others—specifically, dwell more on the contradiction of wanting to change a system while participating in it—then it would’ve been even more enjoyable and educational than it is. 

What stands out

Coffee Wars is unique in that it is produced by VegGood Films, a production studio committed to all things sustainable. It’s promised to donate 100% of the movie’s proceeds to charities dedicated to protecting animals and environment, which is a brave step that the majority of the film industry doesn’t have the guts to do. Even though I believe the film could have been better, I salute this selfless deed.

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