''Adulthood'' (stylised as ''AdULTHOOD'') is a 2008 British

crime drama film In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

written and directed by Noel Clarke. It is a sequel to 2006's ''

Kidulthood ''Kidulthood'' (stylised as ''KiDULTHOOD'') is a 2006 British crime drama film directed by Menhaj Huda and written by Noel Clarke, who appeared in the film alongside Aml Ameen, Red Madrell, Adam Deacon, Jaime Winstone, Femi Oyeniran, Madelei ...

'' and stars Clarke, Adam Deacon,

Scarlett Alice Johnson Scarlett Alice Johnson (born 7 April 1985) is an English actress, producer and drama teacher. She is best known for her roles as Vicki Fowler in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' and Laura Derbyshire in the BBC Three sitcom '' Pramface''. Earl ...

Femi Oyeniran Femi Oyeniran is a Nigerian-British actor and director who started his career in the cult classic ''Kidulthood'', playing the role of "Moony" in 2006. It was followed by the 2008 sequel ''Adulthood''. His first feature film as a director "It's ...

, Red Madrell,

Jacob Anderson Jacob Basil Anderson (born 18 June 1990) is a British actor and musician. As an actor, he is known for his roles as Grey Worm in '' Game of Thrones'' and Louis de Pointe du Lac in '' Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire'', and his recurrin ...

, Ben "Plan B" Drew,

Nathan Constance Nathan Constance (born 7 January 1979 in London) is an English actor and Voice Over Artist. He is best known for his work as a character performer in AAA Video Games, as handyman-turned-Prison Officer Josh Mitchell in prison drama series, '' Bad G ...

Cornell John Cornell Salmonn John (born 1963) is a British actor who has appeared in various film and television productions since 1999. He is most renowned for his role as Trife's uncle, Curtis, in the films ''Kidulthood'' (2006), ''Adulthood'' (2008) and ...

and

Danny Dyer Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in ''Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy Johns ...

. In the film, Sam (Clarke) tries to change his life following a six-year prison sentence for killing Trife but a new gang led by Jay (Deacon) intend to avenge Trife by killing Sam. Plans for a sequel came around following the success of ''Kidulthood''.

Menhaj Huda Menhaj Huda (born 20 March 1967) is a Bangladesh-born British film and television director and producer best known for the film ''Kidulthood''. Career Huda's first directing job was the 1993 television series ''Hypnosis''. He directed ''Jump Boy ...

, who directed the first film, turned down the opportunity to direct ''Adulthood'', which prompted the studio to hire Clarke, in his directorial debut, to helm the film. Production began in November 2007 in

West London West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary. The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: North Londo ...

. ''Adulthood'' had its world premiere at Leicester Square on 17 June 2008 and was released three days later. The film received generally mixed to positive reviews and was a box office success, grossing £1,203,319 during its UK opening weekend, with an overall gross of £6 million. At the

62nd British Academy Film Awards The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 8 February 2009 and honoured the best films of 2008. Winners and nominees Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema * Pinewood ...

in 2009, Clarke won the

BAFTA Rising Star Award The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Rising Star Award, currently styled as the EE Rising Star Award for commercial reasons and previously known as the Orange Rising Star Award, is an award that acknowledges new talents in the ...

, making him the oldest and first black person to accept the award. After starring in the film, Adam Deacon decided to write and star in his own urban film, '' Anuvahood''. The final film of the trilogy, ''

Brotherhood Brotherhood or The Brotherhood may refer to: Family, relationships, and organizations * Fraternity (philosophy) or brotherhood, an ethical relationship between people, which is based on love and solidarity * Fraternity or brotherhood, a mal ...

'', also by Clarke, was released in 2016.

Plot

Six years after being jailed for killing Trevor "Trife" Hector, Sam Peel is released from prison. During the course of the film, it is revealed that Sam, haunted by his crime has changed dramatically and has learnt from his mistakes. Visiting Trife's grave at Oak Park cemetery, Sam is attacked by Trife's cousin, Jehvon, who is seeking revenge on Sam for killing Trife. Sam is later able to gain control of the fight and beats him into submission. Jehvon 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. 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 has not seen his mother in over a year, and also tells him that Mooney is at university. Then Claire's boyfriend 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 Moony and asks for information regarding anyone who might hurt his family. He says he has changed, however Moony 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 and Andreas concur that he got what he deserved, as he tested Curtis's patience and suffered the consequences. 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. When a rich man tests him, Jay robs him and his fiancée and humiliates him. He receives a call from Jehvon informing him that Sam is out, so he releases the couple. He seeks help from Ike, who 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 that Sam 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 Curtis as revenge for Trife's death. Jay meets with Moony and his girlfriend Kayla in a café and tells Robert that he could have prevented Trife's death. Jay tries to convince Robert to help him track down Sam, but 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, Royston. 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, he instead knocks Dabs unconscious and leaves with the two teenagers. Meanwhile, Jay arrives at Lexi's flat, revealing himself as her dealer; 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 apologetically mugs a couple at gunpoint; 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. 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, an injured Sam leaves the fight. Wandering aimlessly, Sam finds that Lexi has left a message on his phone asking him to spend time with her, and manages to make his way to her flat, and the two smile as he enters.

Cast

* Noel Clarke as Sam Peel * Adam Deacon as Jay *

as Lexi *

as Robert "Moony" *Red Madrell as Alisa *

as Omen (Royston Peel) * Ben Drew as Dabs *

Wil Johnson Wilbert Charles Johnson (born 18 April 1965) is an English actor, who has had notable television roles in '' Waking the Dead'' and '' Babyfather'', and on stage in '' Othello''. He played Dom Andrews in ''Emmerdale'' from 2012 to 2014. Early ...

as Big Man *

as Ike *

Adjoa Andoh Adjoa Andoh Hon. FRSL (born 14 January 1963) is a British actress. On stage, she has played lead roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre and the Almeida Theatre. On television, she appeared in tw ...

as Mrs. Peel *Madeleine Fairley as Claire *Rhoda Montemayor as Kim *

as Hayden *Lindsey Jordan as Devo *Kiera Booth as Tramp *Arnold Oceng as Henry *Don Klass as Blammy *

Troy Glasgow Troy Glasgow (born 11 September 1984) is a British actor. Career Troy Glasgow was born in Waterloo, London. He attended the BRIT School in 2001 and graduated in 2003. Whilst there he gained small roles in British television shows such as ''Th ...

as Jahvon *

David Ajala David Ajala (born 21 May 1986) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Manchester Black in '' Supergirl'' (20182019), Captain Roy Eris in ''Nightflyers'' (2018), and Cleveland "Book" Booker in '' Star Trek: Discovery'' (2020present). ...

as Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Desmond "Buds" *Pierre Mascolo as Andreas *

Shanika Warren-Markland Shanika Warren-Markland is a British actress and writer. She is known for her roles in '' More Than Love'' and ''4.3.2.1.'' Early life Markland attended Sion Manning Roman Catholic Girls' School in West London. At the age of thirteen, Markland ...

as Kayla

Soundtrack

''Adulthood: Music from the Motion Picture'' was released on 30 June 2008 by Altered Ego. # "Over Here" (

Maniac Maniac (from Greek μανιακός, ''maniakos'') is a pejorative for an individual who experiences the mood known as mania. In common usage, it is also an insult for someone involved in reckless behavior. Maniac may also refer to: Film * ' ...

& Bashy featuring

Ghetts Justin Clarke, better known by his stage name Ghetts (formerly Ghetto), is a British grime MC, rapper and songwriter. His music has been played on national radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100, BBC Asian Network, and BBC Radio 1Xtra. C ...

& J2K) # "End in the Streets" (

Plan B Plan B typically refers to a contingency plan, a plan devised for an outcome other than in the expected plan. Plan B may also refer to: * Plan B, a brand name of levonorgestrel, an emergency contraception drug Film and television * Plan B En ...

) # "F Ur Ex" ( Sway) # "My Dunks" (

The Clik Clik The Clik Clik were a British band known for releasing a series of songs that became critically acclaimed for being a 'contagious blend of ‘wonky pop’, indie, hip-hop and electro'. The band, originally a duo of Abingdon and Yianni, toured with ...

) # "Paranoid" (

Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. D ...

) # "Kids of the Underground" ( Scarlett & Viva featuring The Audio Bullys) # "Reppin' London" ( Sincere featuring

D Double E Darren Dixon (born 19 January 1980), known professionally as D Double E, is a British grime MC, DJ and record producer from Forest Gate, East London. He performs both as a solo artist and as a member of the grime duo Newham Generals. Career D ...

& Scorcher) # "Follow" (

Tinchy Stryder Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor. Stryder has released three solo studio albums, '' Star in the Hood'' (2 ...

) # "Running for Life" (

Eliza Doolittle Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play ''Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''. Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower woman, who comes to Profe ...

) # "On It 08" ( Adam Deacon featuring

, Snakeyman, Blazay & Alphadecious) # "Bars of Truth" ( No Lay) # "Who Are You" (

Chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of the family Sciuridae. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks may be classified either as ...

) # "Look What You've Done" (

Lethal Bizzle Maxwell Owusu Ansah (born 14 September 1984), known by his stage name Lethal Bizzle, is a British rapper from Walthamstow, London, of Ghanaian origin. He emerged in 2002 as a grime MC as part of More Fire Crew, with their grime single "Oi!" ch ...

featuring

Kate Nash Kate Marie Nash (born 6 July 1987) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. Nash launched her music career in 2005. Her 2007 single " Foundations" became a hit and brought her to public attention in the UK. Her debut album, '' Made of Bricks ...

) # "Kids" ( Goldie Locks) # "Grime Kid" (

Wiley Wiley may refer to: Locations * Wiley, Colorado, a U.S. town * Wiley, Pleasants County, West Virginia, U.S. * Wiley-Kaserne, a district of the city of Neu-Ulm, Germany People * Wiley (musician), British grime MC, rapper, and producer * Wiley Mil ...

) # "I Need Love" (

featuring

) # "Run Dry" ( Kerry-Anne Leatham) # "Reach" ( Skrein) # "Adamhood" ( Adam Deacon) # "Arms Open Wide" (

Shystie Chanel Cali (born 25 December 1983), better known by her stage name Shystie, is an English rapper, songwriter and actress. Her mother was born and raised in Barbados and her father was born and raised in Grenada, making her heritage West-Indian. ...

) # "Kidulthood to Adulthood" (

& Bashy)

Awards and nominations

Screen Nation The Screen Nation Film & TV Awards, formerly the bfm (black filmmaker) Film and TV Awards, was founded in September 2003 by independent film producer Charles Thompson MBE, as a platform to raise the profile of black British and international fil ...

: Honorary Production Award 2009 – Adulthood – Winner *

BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...

: Orange Rising Star Award 2009 – Noel Clarke – Winner

Sequel

A sequel called ''

'' was released on 29 August 2016.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adulthood (film) 2008 films 2008 crime drama films 2000s gang films Black British cinema Black British films Black British mass media British crime drama films British sequel films 2000s English-language films British films about revenge Films about interracial romance Films directed by Noel Clarke Films set in 2008 Films set in London Films shot in London Hood films Films with screenplays by Noel Clarke 2008 directorial debut films 2000s American films 2000s British films