Adulthood

2008 "After Kidulthood comes..."
6.6| 1h39m| R| en| More Info
Released: 16 June 2008 Released
Producted By: UK Film Council
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

After serving six years for killing his schoolmate, a young man learns that someone is out for revenge.

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Reviews

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good
CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
atish_jadhav I was little apprehensive before watching this movie as I did not see the first one from Noel Clark and did not know about rest of the star cast as well. Watching the trailer on the youtube tempted me to watch that on big! After watching this movie I felt like F***ing awesome movie! Noel who played Sam in this movie was an excellent work by the actor cum director cum story writer. He justified his job along with all of the rest characters in the flick. He has shown the kind of anger one can carry and at the same time the one who can get himself calm down by forgetting everything which has happened in the past. His endeavors to live his future life peacefully, were portrayed successfully and the intense feeling were well acted by Noel. Loved the music at the background, that too when Sam moves to work on his decision, Mooney decides to stay back and calm down his anger, Lexi keep on waiting for Sam.
dominicpearson I recall watching Kidulthood and coming away from it with no real like/dislike for it. It was an enjoyable film which attempted to hold a mirror up to youth culture in London. Some criticised it for being over sensationalised and not a true reflection but I have no first hand experience so couldn't comment.It was, therefore, not high on my list of priorities to watch Adulthood. The thought of spending more time with the characters did not fill me with any feelings of joy. However I was very happily surprised at what a well crafted, produced and presented film this is.The story picks up 6 years after Kidulthood. Sam has been released from prison and is almost instantly attacked. A threat is made against him and his family and he has to take action to find the source and put a stop to it.The first point to note is that there is no need for you to have seen Kidulthood. Clearly you will enjoy the film on a different level if you have seen it as what develops are a number of scenes which focus on the impact Sams attitude and actions in the first film have had on the people around him.The story develops at a perfect pace. We get to see more depth to the characters and understand the pain that they have suffered and continue to suffer. Sams brother, for example, is on the same track as his brother was and this is down to the "legacy" of being related. Jay has turned into a petty thief and drug dealer and seems destined to crash and burn. We see how it has affected Sams mother, his ex and all (well, nearly all) of the central characters from the first film. The ripples of this one incident are clearly being felt this long after the event, ripples that will continue indefinitely.At the heart of the film are two outstanding performances. The first, from Noel Clark (who also wrote and directed) is slow burning, poignant and extremely powerful. His experiences and the impact of the killing develop in the form of flashbacks, very little is actually said but we learn enough to know that if ever anyone regretted their actions it is Sam. The final scenes with Jay are heart wrenching, as is the one where Lexi is trying to comfort him in her flat.Noel Clark plays the part brilliantly. He fully deserves all of the plaudits and recognition he received. Here is a character who I really did not care for in the first film. After watching Adulthood, however, I feel for him. I don't like him - you don't forget what his character did or that he is not a good person but you do empathise with him and the situation he finds himself in. It had to be a performance that balanced the regretfulness and showed the distance he had come but with the knowledge of his previous life and that strong elements of this remained. It could have been all brooding and moody or all anger and fury but the skillful performance found a perfect middle ground.Second is Scarlett Johnsons performance. Her role is central to the plot and she is given time to really develop the character. The scene where she is leaving the message on Sams phone is heartbreaking. Knowing that she and Sam have similar issues and experiences gives us hope that there may be a happy ending for both of them. She is a damaged person trying to come to terms with the rape. She is struggling but sees in Sam redemption, someone who understands her sufferings and someone who can (possibly) help her.Again, the focus could have been purely on the damage caused but the performance given shows the humanistic elements of the character. The hardness which slowly breaks down when she finds someone she can be vulnerable with. Like I said before, it is heartbreaking.The supporting cast are, also, perfect. The final scene between Sam and Jay is brilliantly shot (apart from the Matrix moment halfway through!) and brilliantly acted. Again, you can see the very real pain Jay is suffering; pain that cuts to his very core.All this is not to say the film isn't without flaw. I found the whole set up of the dealers extremely convoluted and unlikely. I also found myself getting agitated at the slang being used. I accept that this is the language used but some of the characters slipped in and out of it too easily.Small concerns, however, in a film that shows that you can have a simple but strong story, some superb young actors and still have a great film without the need for big bucks or Hollywood. Congratulations Mickey The Idiot, the Doctor would be proud! 8.5/10
SeanyB2007 I was excited to watch this film, I saw Kidulthood when it first came out in 2006 and it wasn't very popular then. I think that anyone who is considering going watching Adulthood without having already seen Kidulthood should think again. The whole plot revolves around what happened in the first film.Anybody who has seen both films should agree that Kidulthood is the better of the two. The storyline is clearer and easier to follow and it is not as dark or as serious as Adulthood until the very end. However Adulthood is an amazing film with an excellent performance from Noel Clarke as a director and an actor. Even though I don't think that Adulthood lived up to its predecessor, It is definitely worth a watch.I think that Adam Deacon steals the show, as he did in Kidulthood and I like how the film shows how peoples lives can change as a result of an event such as the death of Trife in the first film. For example, Jay is clearly affected more by the death of his friend and he turns to dealing drugs and theft whereas Mooney (or Robert) goes to University and studies law.I love the concept of both films and could watch either of them over and over.
seawalker "Adulthood" was the sequel to "Kidulthood". "Kidulthood" was certainly not a subtle movie and neither was "Adulthood"."Adulthood" was low budget, rough around the edges, harsh, brutal, and totally engrossing. Sometimes the acting of the young cast was variable, but it's best performers - writer/director/lead actor Noel Clarke, Scarlet Alice Johnson (in the role obviously originally intended to be Jamie Winstone's 'Becky' character from "Kidulthood") and Adam Deacon - managed to imbue their roles with a ring of truth."Adulthood" got by on relevance (the debate about gang culture and gun crime is constantly in British newspapers at the moment), raw power and energy. In fact "Adulthood" had enough raw power and energy to silence an unruly audience of mobile phone carrying teenage boys, wearing baseball caps and trousers that were too big for them. At least it did in the screening that I attended. Maybe they were shocked at seeing versions of themselves up on the big screen?I thought that "Adulthood" was as good as "Kidulthood", if not better.There is so much more to Noel Clarke than being known as a "Doctor Who" companion. You mark my words, he is a name to watch.