Adulthood on AllMovie

Two years after director Menhaj Huda offered an unflinching look at the lives of troubled London youth in Kidulthood, that film's screenwriter and star Noel Clarke steps up to the challenge of directing for this sequel that finds Sam Peel struggling to stop the cycle of violence that nearly destroyed his life. Sam (Clarke) has just served six years for killing Trife, and now he's a free man. But life isn't any easier for Sam on the outside than it was on the inside, because out on the streets he is forced to confront the people he hurt on a daily basis. Some of those people have decided to move on with their lives, but others don't have that luxury. Now, as Sam begins to come to grips with his sorrow and guilt, he is surprised to discover that a new generation of bad boys is out for bloody revenge. Years ago, Trife had tried to warn Sam that he should stop the violence before it's too late. Today it's Sam's duty to try and get that message across and prevent the kids on the streets from throwing their lives away for a skewed sense of honor that doesn't even really exist. Hopefully, for both Sam and the next generation, the kids of today will be more receptive to that message than he once was.