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. Sam is trying to get the message across to all after him that he no longer wants to create violence, and that he didn't mean to kill Trife. Lexi (EastEnders' Scarlett Alice Johnson) is one of the only people on his side and trying to help him, but at the same time, she is willing to double cross to get what she wants, i.e. drugs. In the end, Sam and Jay confront each other, Jay with a gun and Sam with a baseball bat, and even though Jay can't face killing him, and Sam has tried to give his peace, Jay warns him that it isn't over. Also starring Jacob Anderson as Omen, Ben Drew as Dabs, Danny Dyer as Hayden, Kidulthood's Femi Oyeniran as Moony, Shanika Warren-Markland as Kayla, Kidulthood's Red Madrell as Alisa, Nathan Constance as Ike, Lenny Henry in Pieces' Cornell John as Uncle Curtis and Don Klass as Blammy. Clarke deservedly won the BAFTA for Best Rising Star, he directs the film with great skill. It is a shame not all the same cast could come back, e.g. Jaime Winstone (Ray's daughter) and Rafe Spall (Timothy's son), but it is a great sequel none-the-less. Good!

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. There were times when i thought he would go back to his ways, but he only commits violence in this to protect himself, not because of wrath.

It's well scripted, and well cast. 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.

I found ADULTHOOD to be a decent film and one which actually surpasses the original. 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. First and foremost he directs, giving the movie the kind of gritty realism it desperately needs. Secondly he writes, crafting an interesting tale populated by engaging characters. Finally he acts, and delivers a fine performance as a man struggling to come to terms with his identity and place in society.

The supporting cast are fine – some delivering over-the-top performances, others more restrained and heartfelt, as the script requires. Overall, ADULTHOOD has a refreshing honesty about it that stems from the lives of the people it depicts: it tells their story in an unpretentious, almost documentary style, with plenty of natural humour and a great deal of emotion.