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Adulthood (2008)

Director: Noel Clarke

Time Out rating

Average user rating

136 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

When ‘Kidulthood’ came out in 2006, I was put off by the over-ambition of Noel Clarke’s screenplay, which tried to cram every hot-button teen issue into a melodramatic 90 minutes of violence, sex and drugs on London’s streets. It had an impressive energy and a little insight but the acting was ropey and the directing superficial. Its follow-up, ‘Adulthood’, is again written by Clarke, who had an ensemble part in ‘Kidulthood’, but now he directs and reassumes the role of Sam Peel, a lad fresh out of jail after serving six years for the manslaughter that brought the first film to a close. There’s barely a scene without Clarke skulking about the streets of Ladbroke Grove and he has several brooding close-ups that make you wonder if he has ever heard of humility.

The story has a tighter focus than its predecessor: Sam spends a busy day trying to avoid being dragged back into a cycle of revenge and violence. He fails – and much chasing and cursing follow. There’s a thoughtful side to this maturer sequel as Clarke ponders the struggle of growing up: a plot involving a lonely young woman (Scarlett Alice Johnson) scarred by her past offers a welcome, maudlin aside from the gun and knife play. But there are bum notes that will have people chewing the arm rest: a posh guy buying drugs is the worst sort of cartoon, and the location of a late showdown – Compromise Avenue, W11 – is a distraction. It’s a film with its target audience – teenage boys and the youngest of men – firmly in mind and we’re never far from a rapid edit, a loud tune or a fight.

Author: Dave Calhoun 2008-06-17 11:44:06

Time Out London Issue 1974, June 18-25, 2008

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User reviews of this film

proud paki said...

Posted on Jul 18 2008 12:49 this movie is BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!!!!!!!! i luv it especially jays character and the way he acts. anva gr8 film much better than kidulthood but both are really good. this film can be abit misleading to sum yungstas my lil bros m8s saw this on internet and when they were at m hous they were talkin bwt how easy dis lyf is, when jay gets a gun and 3 grand jus lyk dat dy tink its easy muni. but what they dont understand is how bad all this drug dealin is in london and wat its lyk wen u on da streets lyk dat. i kno cz i usd to do it but then stopd cz they only 2 ways u end up eva in prison o dead. simple as that. ITS A GR8 FILM THO LUV IT AND ALISA IS FYYYYYYYYYYYN LOL

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Jack said...

Posted on Jul 17 2008 19:12 Rightttt its an alright film. why every1 writing reviews in capitals. supose thats pretty g of them. ha

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ABZ said...

Posted on Jul 14 2008 00:26 i TINK IS FILM WAS NUTY.. SHWS HW U SHUD LIVE A LYF! I TINK IMA CHANGE N BEGIN 2 ACT LYK HIM MRE DEN SO I CUDMVE FRM BIN A KID 2 A ADULT! SFE U LOT!

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badman g said...

Posted on Jul 11 2008 20:13 i fink dis film is sik it shows real life in london and how it effects peeps it gives a good message nd should be taken into acount nd since i live in london i can relate to dis ite fam bless

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bex said...

Posted on Jul 11 2008 12:06 i thort this film was well good nd it does show what life is like today especially in london!x

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Ch1x0r said...

Posted on Jul 09 2008 15:25 how many of the people going on about the way race is a huge divider and 'dis be a badman film representin!' are white. i bet not one person on this site knows what it feels like to be disorientated and in horrendous situations. for a start you all had the free time to go online and read a review, then comment on it, sometimes repeatedly. that already puts you in a bracket above rock bottom. your lives are not this hard and i bet most of you gangsta's are real pussies away from a keyboard and your half arsed reviews

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jay said...

Posted on Jul 09 2008 15:11 a clumsy representation of a glorified shithole, resplendant with bad lines obvious accents and plausable yet totally hyperbolic situations, and the rich guy buying crack, such an easy shot! they could have come up with way better imagery!

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? said...

Posted on Jul 09 2008 15:03 the film does not change anything and it never will, it lacks depth and clout. i dont agree with this reviewer entirely, but i will agree that it was made simply for people to say 'mate that was fucking nuts like!' and that seems to be all anyone has done, its not about race or anything, its not saying anything important, just opening a very slim window into what people believe life is like. its fun to watch but will anyone come away from it going, 'fucks sake, i'm totally changing everything!' i very much doubt it.

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MC fucksadick said...

Posted on Jul 08 2008 21:38 ere mate, what happens in the end right cos it cut off n im disgusted to the deepest bowells of my bones blood
x

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??????????????? said...

Posted on Jul 08 2008 19:07 Ye, I think alot of people judge this film by its cover, Stereotype it and shit, kids in hoods = BAD.
So they bring it upon themselves to make some shit about how this film sucks, to be honest this film shows life in london, and alot of people from outside london think its a load of bullshit.
But it's not since i live in london to, i can relate to it, this made the film so much better for me.
Peace-

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madeleine said...

Posted on Jul 08 2008 10:56 i thought that this film was really good personaly. i remember watching kidulthood in year 5 and being very upset whenthe fit guiy at the end died.

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Babybexxz said...

Posted on Jul 07 2008 14:45 I fort this film woz much better than Kidulthood, I ended up feelin sorry for Sam!! Love Adam Deacon phoar! and i dont fink this film gloyfies violoence at all, it is as true to life as you can get, i fink more older people should go and watch this film n then maybe they will get a better understanding of all the stresses that are put on strugglin teens these days! Big up Noel Clarke i hope therz more 2cum xxxx

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Loreda said...

Posted on Jul 06 2008 12:59 Yeah i do think da things dis movies shows is bad. But its real life. It's what life is like in London..That needs to be shown to get sumin sorted out! I thought Kidulthood was a gr8 movie...coz it showed things out it is !!
Feckin quality !!

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wicca witch said...

Posted on Jul 05 2008 16:37 very good with a message for todays bad sad mad world the film itself much better quality than its previous kidadult hood which was brill but looked amateurish. Maybe we should be showing the kids of today more material like these films in the hope that they will get a grip before it goes too far thats if knife crime and violence can get any worse the film was food for thought for all

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david Gibbons said...

Posted on Jul 05 2008 01:14 Only a fool would rate this film badly. maybe you have to be from london, but whoever you are from london, you'd know people like this, or you'd know you were once like this, or were close to it at points. that posh guy getting battered was the generic critic, with his art house swagger getting taught a lesson, using economic arguments to dissuade that guy from teaching him a lesson - "i don't need you business." hahahha

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