Adulthood: confronting british yob violence

A man is senselessly shot in the leg before his teenage attackers – who were trying to steal his car – do a runner. Sex and drugs are currency for a young generation of criminals who plague

the streets and handguns are kept at arm’s reach in council estate bedside tables. Sound familiar? What I am actually describing is controversial teen film Adulthood that will hit our cinema

screens this month. But it sounds like the sort of violent yob culture that Harry Potter actor Robert Knox or young Jimmy Mizen fell prey to when they made the mistake of… well, leaving

their homes. Adulthood is the story of a convicted killer’s release from prison after six years of doing time for beating a boy to death with a baseball bat. Over 24-hours Sam Peel (Noel

Clarke) is forced to confront his past and make amends for his actions. It’s a coming-of-age film, gangster film and action movie set against an urban British backdrop where violence is way

of life and the law is irrelevant. Incredible performances from Clarke, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film and Scarlett Alice Johnson – who you will (barely) recognise as

Vicky from Eastenders – will no doubt make this as popular with the critics as with Britain’s youth. It is not easy to watch because it deals with murder, gang-rape and torture but quite

frankly, it’s about time that MPs dragged themselves out of their Surrey second homes and were forced to face up to the dangers that city dwellers and their children face daily. The prequel,

Kidulthood (2006) dealt with vicious girl-gangs, suicide, teen pregnancy and prostitution, theft and the capital’s underground drug culture. So before I saw the sequel, you might forgive me

for thinking ‘what’s left to cover?’ But Adulthood surpassed my limited expectations. The laugh-out-loud script is masterfully brought to life with the Caribbean twang that so many kids at

the back of the bus have perfected. While parents may find this film hard to swallow, it contains a crucial moral message that those teenage thugs who brutally kicked Garry Newlove to death

outside his family home didn’t even consider – the repercussions of their actions. Producer George Isaac sums it up nicely: “Adulthood deals with the consequences of people’s actions from

the first film." But he has a poignant message for those those who don't approve of Adulthood's no holds barred approach. “It’s not down to us as filmmakers - it’s down to

parents to look after their children and give them guidance.” OUR VERDICT: 5/5 Adulthood is released on June 20 in cinemas nationwide.