Adulthood
Tags: revenge, violence

Plot synopsis:
Six years after being jailed for killing Trife, Sam Peel is released from prison. During the course of the film, it is revealed that Sam has changed dramatically and is not the person he was six years ago. He has learnt from his mistakes and is still haunted by his crime. Sam is later on a bus and witnesses two occupants give their seat up to a woman. He also sees another man staring at him. Later, when he visits Trife's grave at Oak Park cemetery, the man he saw earlier sits next to him. He says his name is Jehvon and starts a conversation with him. Later in the conversation, the man brings up the murder and attacks Sam. He turns out to be Trife's cousin, and he wounds Sam. However, Sam is later able to gain control of the fight and beats him into submission. Trife's cousin informs him that he will not survive the day, as many people want him dead – and will stop at nothing, not even harming his family. Sam, troubled by these claims, goes to his house and breaks in. However, no one is home, so Sam bandages up his wound. He then has a flashback to his prison days which reveals he helped a high ranking prison mate escape an attack from Trife's uncle, Curtis.
Sam then goes into a room, goes through the drawers and picks up a gun which he discards, then leaves. As Sam later visits Claire and asks for information regarding his mother, he says he won't hurt her, however Claire says she hasn't seen his mother in over a year, and also tells him that Mooney is at university, and that that's all she knows. Then Claire's partner Hayden arrives, and attacks Sam when he realises who he is, berating him for all the emotional damage he caused Claire six years ago. Sam then visits Mooney and asks for information regarding anyone who might hurt his family. He says he has changed, however Mooney reveals that he should be wary of Jay as he has changed for the worse. He also tells him that Sam inspired him to study Law, so he can make sure people like him do not go free in 6 years. Sam then speaks to Becky's cousin Lexi, hoping that she might have some information.
The scene then shifts to Omen, with Dabs and Henry robbing a car in broad daylight. They take what they have stolen to Ike's house to sell and are given money by Ike, who leaves to sort out some business. It is revealed that his partner is Andreas, whose face was cut in the first film by Trife. Ike tells a customer that even Andreas had to learn the hard way. Andreas remarks that he got what he deserved, as he tested Curtis's patience and suffered the consequences. Then Ike burns his customer's arm and beats him up to teach him a lesson for making money behind his back on his gear. Jay is later seen selling drugs to customers, however when a rich one tests him, Jay robs him and his fiancée and humiliates him. Just then he receives a call from Jehvon informing him that Sam is out, so he lets the rich man and his fiancée go. He goes to Ike's house, seeking help about Sam, so Ike gives him a gun. Then Andreas suggests hiring some of the teenagers to kill Sam. Dabs is called into the room and eventually agrees to do it for £6,000.
Jay makes it clear that the others must not see Sam's face when the murder happens. Dabs tells Henry about the plan. Not willing to kill a man, Henry tells Dabs not to go through with it. A scuffle happens and Dabs hits Henry over the head with a brick. Later, Dabs and Blammy meet Omen and tell him about the job. Omen agrees after Dabs lies and says that the target was the one who hurt Henry. Sam and Lexi meet and Sam learns that she was gang raped years ago, which led her into drug addiction because as they are having sex she pushes him away. As he gets up she sees various scars on his back and it is revealed they were given to him by Trife's uncle as revenge and when Lexi touches them he leaves in anger. Jay meets with Mooney and his girlfriend in a café and tells Robert that he could have prevented Trife's death, convincing him to help Jay track down Sam. But shortly afterwards, Robert tells Jay that he needs to move on.
Later, the teenage hit-men see Sam walking through a park and tackle him to the ground. With Sam's face to the floor, Dabs tells Omen to stab him, but Omen insists on seeing his face first. It is then revealed that Omen is Sam's brother. He refuses to kill his own brother, and realises that Dabs knew who it was. Sam is about to kill Dabs, but has a flashback to the murder and relents, just punching Dabs and leaving with the two teenagers. Meanwhile, Jay goes round to Lexi's flat and we find out he is her dealer, and that Lexi was setting up Sam by bringing him back to her flat. Sam phones the man he spoke to outside the prison and asks for the favour the man promised him earlier in the film. Sam walks down a street and mugs a couple at gunpoint, but apologises for doing it.
He uses the stolen phone to call the police about an armed robbery, telling them the criminal is going into the house he is about to enter. Using the items he stole, he goes into Ike's house pretending to want to sell them. Meanwhile, Sam's contact phones Curtis and tells him where Sam is. While Sam is holding them all at gun point, the armed police show up and arrest Ike, Andreas, and Curtis, but Sam escapes. On the way home, Sam is attacked by Jay. Jay holds him at gunpoint and a fight ensues but during the fight Sam realises that Jay is just like he was six years ago and cannot bring himself to commit murder. Safe in the knowledge that Jay is not really dangerous, he leaves the fight.
As all this happens, Sam, having nowhere to go, wanders aimlessly through the streets. He finds that Lexi has left a message on his phone asking him to spend time with her, and makes his way to her flat. He struggles to get there due to all the injuries he received during the past day, though he manages to make it to Lexi's flat, and the two smile as he enters.

Review: Brian Tufano's cinematography was well measured and help to maintain a good balance between some nice editing, great soundtrack and solid direction.I think Noel Clarke should be justly proud of his achievement in writing , starring and directing this genuinely entertaining film.
It is a film with honesty, heart, action and integrity without preaching or patronising the viewer.I liked it and I'm a cynical sod, so if anyone sees Noel Clarke, tell him he done alright.Darcus (not Howe).
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.
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.
Sam , the character was strong and genuine and in-your-face types and the movie, for sure, portrayed the underground life of the youngsters in the UK.Worth a watch for sure and recommended for a critics award.
In other words a totally unrealistic portrayal of life in London.A "film" (actually more like a teatime kids TV programme with swearing) completely devoid of wit, humour, style or intelligence.
The reason is that I prefer the plot: I find the story of a sole character's redemption on the mean streets of London to be more focused and compelling than the multi-character narratives of the first film, KIDULTHOOD.
At times, ADULTHOOD feels like nothing less than a modern-day western, with characters forming alliances and battling it out in a virtually lawless society.Noel Clarke goes from strength to strength, undertaking not one, not two, but three separate roles here.
Strong language assists the strong sense for survival and bitter revenge in this gritty 24-hour time-line drama; knives, guns, drugs, sex and baseball bats rule this urban metropolis.Written, directed, his first attempt too, and starring Noel Clarke, and the follow-up to, in writing only, his 2006 Kidulthood, and backed by UK Film Council's New Cinema Fund and The UK National Lottery.
In 2006 a little film called Kidulthood was released in Britain with a lot of media controversy with it bleak look at inner city life for teenagers.
I personally didn't rate the film but people really love it, helped the careers of Noel Clarke and Jamie Winstone.
Two years later Noel Clarke has gone back to his creation in an unpredicted sequel.Sam (Noel Clarke) is released from prison after a 6 year sentence for murder of Trife at the end of Kidulthood.
There are other moments that were also unrealistic, like when Claire attempted to shout, with people looking at her and Sam and did nothing.Adulthood does improve in other areas.
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Six years after the first film finished, Sam (Noel Clarke) has been released from prison for the manslaughter of Trife.
And as he does, he must fully come to terms with the devastation his fateful actions that night six years ago had, on his mother, the mother of Trife's daughter, his brother and Trife's friends, including Moony (Femi Oyeniran) who's made something of his life and is studying law and on the other end of the coin Jay (Adam Deacon) the hyper-mouthed, aggressive one from the first film who's now a drug dealer and is especially insistent that Sam must pay the ultimate price for killing his friend...2006's Kidulthood wasn't intended, I don't think, as much of a mainstream film, just a simple commentary on deprived inner city youth that would hopefully shock a few people into action and give them food for thought.
It's sad, though, that aside from making money, the film is very relevant, as over the last year or so we have been bombarded in the news with gun/knife crime amongst kids in inner city areas, like the film is portraying, but it is good that while the film highlights this, it finishes on a positive message.Like with the original, Clarke, as star, writer and director, has taken no prisoners and has delivered a film that is every bit as raw, unflinching and hard hitting as the original, with a blaring, pumping heavy gangsta rap soundtrack hollering over everything that never lets up through-out the film.
At times it all gets a bit much, and the film can get over-whelmingly depressing, hearing all these characters shouting, swearing and firing broken English at each other, certainly no Salvation Army workers here, but you have to find light where you can see it and Adulthood does manage some funny scenes and, as already stated, a positive ending that sends out the right message to dis-affected youth.It never quite feels as good as the original, but what is?
I have just watched both films 'Kidulthood and Adulthood',and enjoyed them both,but preferred the sequel.
One of the reasons I liked it, is unlike a lot of gangster genre films, albeit young thuggish gangsters,Noel put an emphasis on the fact that what can stir him from the "I've done my time,now leave me alone" to criminal action, is that he fears for his family,not himself.
I just watched Adulthood this evening ,and i thought that it was a brilliant film that carried on from where kidulthood ended.
Set six years after the original film, we join the majority of the original cast on the day that Sam comes out of prison after doing his time for the killing of Trife.
Some of those involved have moved on, some are still in the same situation they were then while others have nothing but that night on their minds and are seeking revenge on Sam for what he did – either by their own hands or by any one of countless up and coming boys looking to have a name made for them.In picking this plot in particular the film sets out its stall very much to be about these events rather than the characters – again this is the same as the first film, which didn't do a great job in creating people so much as it did in creating a reasonably good narrative flow.
In my opinion, Kidulthood is one of the best Urban films that the UK has created and Adulthood is certainly a worthy sequel.Things have changed since the end of Kidulthood, it's six years on and Sam (Noel Clarke) has just been released from Prison.
Once he hears of Sam's release, he only has one thing on his mind; Revenge.Noel Clarke proves yet again how talented he is as he takes on the role of Lead Actor & Director.
Plan B is extremely annoying in this movie, his face alone makes you want to put your foot through the TV screen!Adulthood is a direct follow on from Kidulthood, many of the same characters and many references to the previous movie so I would say it is essential to view Kidulthood first.
Two years ago there was a hard hitting gritty British film released called Kidulthood.
Adulthood it the follow up set 6 years later and not only has multi talented lead actor , writer and director Noel Clarke managed to recapture the feel of the first movie , he has managed to better it.
Sam is about to go from Kidulthood to Adulthood, if he survives If you read the British tabloids you would think that London was full of gun toting , knife wielding teenagers eager to kill anybody who gets in their way.
Of coarse it's not true, London is no worse than any other big city but small truths like that don't sell newspapers.Noel Clarke has made a film that brings the life of these young adults to a wider audience.
Especially convicted Murderer Sam.You don't have to have seen Kidulthood to enjoy Adulthood if enjoy is the right word to use.
Alongside "Sugarhouse" it's one of the best British movies i have seen this year.Noel Clarke should be proud of Adulthood.8 out of 10.
Sam (Clarke) is released from prison 6 years after he killed Trife.
Now old faces are warning him that someone is going to hurt him and his mother.Kidulthood powered itself to the media's attention with its strong and controversial look at a group of young youths in London and its sequel Adulthood continues the look at what is regarded at a stereotypical teenager.Clarke stunned critics with his hard approach to real life Britain in his first film and how the general public react to seeing teenagers who wear a hoodie and swear every other word.
The way teens treat adults and how teens are so inconsiderate of others is a very accurate portrayal of the typical teenager and the film creates that hard realism by using such figures.Criminals, druggies, and thugs are all in these two films and give viewers a good look at what British teenage life is like.In context of the last film, Sam's return was always going to spark anger with friends of Trife's and Clarke has grabbed the concepts of revenge and human emotion and twisted the ordinary revenge into powerful shock.Adulthood is a coming of age drama as we see characters from Kidulthood grown up with their own lives at university or with their family.Seeing the change in characters makes the viewer feel associated with the story as the realism behind the change in circumstances is an occurrence that happens with everyone.The plot uses issues of loyalty, hatred and coming of age to get the point of realism across to the audience.
The splitting screen likewise is a great technique, a unique and diverse approach that feels like an observation of the teenager's lives.Adulthood is a true sequel, strong and realistic with plenty in store to shock and excite..
That's what I really liked about the film, and in spite of all the bad shite Sam has done, you really want him to come out in one piece, the hero.
Adulthood is Noel Clarke's companion piece to a 2006 film about the same characters operating under the canopy of secondary school, in what was a film named Kidulthood.
In Adulthood, a supporting act from the first film in Clarke's own character Sam is taken and placed at the forefront; a stretch in prison for an event which would spoil the first film having changed him and caused his outlook to shift.
It retains that multi stranded approach Kidulthood adopted, rather than putting across that sense of these people just existing within this messed up; hostile; concrete world of crime and sleaze, Adulthood covers the tales of a man having to fit back into society and rebuild decrepit relations and avoid others wanting revenge on this same man for whom he killed during the climax of Kidulthood.A sense of neo realism is lost, substituted for causality and reactions born out of actions; but the detraction is minimal and there's enough here to recommend the film as a decent piece of work.
On a third interconnected strand, a young skinhead named Dabs (Drew) shows disturbing promise as a criminal also charged with finding and killing Sam for a fee; something which goes against what his own teenage thug cohorts think on the matter.It is Clarke's character Sam whom returns and takes the reigns of the protagonist, a man now with experiences of prison after having previously thought himself to already be of that ilk.
Adulthood is the first English-language film I've ever had to watch with subtitles because I couldn't understand what the characters were saying.
Americans – who I've seen in other film's reviews commenting on the difficulty of following, say, a cockney accent (which British people can easily understand) – won't have a hope of figuring out what they are talking about.Happily, that's pretty much the only complaint (although it's an observation rather than a complaint) as Noel Clarke has delivered a powerful sequel to his highly acclaimed Kidulthood.
Clarke plays a young man on his first day out of prison who finds himself the target of the friend of the youth he killed six years before.
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.
Noel who played Sam in this movie was an excellent work by the actor cum director cum story writer.
After the success of Kidulthood, this film talks about Sam Peel, Six years after KIdULTHOOD, he is released from jail for killing Trife, he realizes that life is no easier on the outside than it was on the inside and he's forced to confront the people he hurt the most.It's a surprise for the adults six years after they were into drugs, sex, money and robbery, they have matured (well, some of them .-.) and have a better life to secure.
It's a bit depressing to see Sam leaving jail and being confronted harshly by the people he hurt the most, including Alisa and Jay. This film is great to watch over and over again but not as great or powerful as Kidulthood.
Again, great visuals and love the directing of both films - love the slide screens in some shots and the angles/lighting in others that give it a more dark/gritty effect.Packed with emotion and deep conflict, this is a film that brings forward many questions about where life is heading for youth in today's London.I was worried that Adulthood would not be as good as Kidulthood, but I had no reason to worry; this is on the same level of epic and realness, although I'd say it is deeper and less humorous which makes it as hard-hitting as it is.Also, the actor playing Jay is an absolute talent.
Especially loved his last scene of the film in which he gives an outstanding performance, as does Noel Clarke.
I give credit to Noel Clarke for making such a moving film, but it is very much exaggerated.
this time around the story focuses on Sam, the person who was sentenced for murder, only to find himself stuck in the problems he created and finding out that people are out their to get him for what he did.Sam gets released from prison, he quickly finds someone is out to get him for this actions from the first movie which he decides to investigate, turning this more of a mystery thriller, thus making this more engaging to watch.The other characters from the first movie return and new recruits whom take part in the action.
Six years after Sam Peel is released from jail for killing Trife, he realises that life is no easier on the outside than it was on the inside and he's forced to confront the people he hurt the most.Some have moved on, others are stuck with the repercussions of his actions that night, but one thing's for certain - everyone has been forced to grow up.Through his journey Sam struggles to deal with his sorrow and guilt and something else he didn't expect - those seeking revenge.As he's pursued by a new generation of bad boys, Sam sets about trying to get the message across to his pursuers that they should stop the violence.Much like Trife tried to tell him all those years ago.....A worthy follow up to kidulthood, this could also have been called Sam's redemption, as he is now a shadow of the character he was in the first film.
And this is why Clarkes film works so well, because you never know if Sam will crack and begin to be the person he once was.
If you are from the UK, you will know that the 'gangsta' accents, a lot of the cast use are spot on, and also very annoying, just like in real life.The ending is a bit over the top, and Danny Dyer has no real reason to be in this film, apart from acting the geezer, but these are minor quibbles in an otherwise terrific story.Looks like Clarke could be big.He even references doctor who when he is on the bus..
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.
I think that anyone who is considering going watching Adulthood without having already seen Kidulthood should think again.
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.
Originally just the writer of the first film, Kidulthood, Doctor Who's Noel Clarke also takes the director's chair for this sequel to the hit teenage social drama film.
Basically, it has been six years since he killed Trife, and released from prison, Sam Peel (Clarke) can't escape the life he now doesn't want to live anymore.
Jay (Dead Set's Adam Deacon), a friend of Trife, wants to get revenge on Sam so much that he is prepared to have him killed.