DVD review: Adulthood (15)

Dir. Noel Clarke (99 mins)

Gillian Orr
Friday 17 October 2008 00:00 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

This gritty sequel to 2006's Kidulthood picks up six years on, with Sam (writer and director Noel Clarke) being released from jail, having served his sentence for a murder that brought the first film to a close.

The plot is hardly unfamiliar: reformed man fresh out of prison, wants to stay on the straight and narrow but finds his past will not leave him alone. Will Sam be dragged back into the cycle of violence and revenge on the streets of west London , or can he achieve redemption? The film falls at several hurdles. Despite some strong lead performances, a lot of the supporting actors make you wince. The script is not strong enough, and the more sentimental moments feel quite insincere. The flashy techniques (split screens, speeded-up city streets, even a Matrix-style 360-degree shot) have been seen so many times that it all feels a bit clichéd.

Adulthood was an instant box-office hit on its release in June, and those fans who maintain it is a realistic depiction of life on the streets will surely appreciate the extensive extras on offer. There's a good "making of" documentary that includes interviews with cast and crew (including a rather revealing interview in which Clarke claims that he "wrote it in about a week"), and for those who enjoy the urban soundtrack, certainly one of the film's stronger points, there are a number of decent features on some of the artists.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in