Kidulthood (2006) User Reviews

At last a great little Film , and it's British too

[BlackNarcissus · 8/10 · 5 March 2006]

If like me you have despaired at the way that the London has been portrayed in films over the last 10 or so years this film is a God send. This is a London that truly reflects the city as it is today and not as it was in the 50s, like films such as Notting Hill, Wimbledon and Love Actually to name but a few. Added to that the film isn't to bad considering the recent track record of UK films. Its a bit like Larry Clarke's Kids meets Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing with added Grange Hill (a BBC Children's drama programme)all set in & around Ladbroke Grove & Harrow Road, London.

The film tells the stories of a number of kids given the day off school after a girl kills herself after being bullied. What ensues over the next 24 hours includes a relentless tide of booze, drug taking, underage sex, stealing as well as Gun-crime. And not once is there any preaching or moralising that is left to the viewer to make there own mind up on.

The performances in the main are some what workman like however two performances stand out, that of Aml Ameen (Trife) and Jamie Winstone (Becky). Of the two, Winstone is some to look out for because on the evidence of this film she has a bright future. Director Menhaj Huda handles things well from Noel Clarke's first time script, again both are to be looked out for in the future. The film also has a firin' Soundtrack by some of the UK's Hip Hop & Grime artists, giving the film the feel of a US production.

As I said in the beginning this film is an antidote to all those fay Richard Curtis film's we've had to endure over the last few years. One hopes that the filmmakers get the opportunity to make more like it, if not in the UK in the US.

The film is definitely one to check out if you can.

My troubled past comes back .

[shadowman123 · 8/10 · 24 April 2006]

I have seen a bundle to Brit flicks that show a hyped by stylish glamorised side of London . Should be Lock Stock , or Snatch , or maybe even Notting Hill these movies have always shown the romantic side of London . However that Ladies and Gents is only the sugar coated topping , there is another world underneath that what is known to most of us who grew up on the streets of London as the real world . The director of Kidulthood does a masterful job giving us a vision of the urban hell-hole that we have all come to know ! The social issues that are highlighted in this film are spot on , whether it be the drug abuse , teenage pregnancies or the ever looming threat of the gang culture with the idiotic craze which is known as Happy slapping .We have all read about , seen it and, probably worst experienced it . Kidulthood presents to the viewer a true , grim , depiction of a life a 15 year old black teenager Trife and his life growing up in the tough neighbourhood and school where words come cheap .We are taken into his world for just 1 day and meet a whole host of characters who fit into the doomed path of life probably just like Trife . The acting was over the top brilliant to the point where to me personally it felt that it was not a film but you were watching someone's life unfold in front of you as the director chose's location's that were truly urban nitty and gritty to the point that you don't need to marvel at the breath taking scenery , you just want to focus as the story rolls along . I'm not a huge fan of Uk hip-hop but this time it seemed to fit in and add to the flavour of the film . The only drawback was that it was a little to over hyped and once or twice it did feel a bit unrealistic in some places but it stood on track and the humour was pretty funny in places as well especially with the white hoody guy. In general Kidulthood is a deep , dark , depressing look on the darker side of London's youth and by looking at it one will walk away probably wanting to take a look back at his life and see where is his or her future heading for . Kidulthood is highly recommended film by not only my-self but several other movie lovers and I shall very likely purchase this when it hits the DVD'S.

KIDULTHOOD SCORES : 8 OUT 10 FOR NOW THIS IS THE SHADOWMAN WISHING YOU ALL GOOD LUCK AND GOOD NIGHT .

A frighteningly depressing London life for teenagers

[tommocoyle · 7/10 · 7 March 2006]

A bold and brave film, that never pulls any punches. A group of teenagers living very negative lives see the suicide, due to bullying of a school friend and the schools closure as an excuse for a day out the streets. Some of the characters are implicit in her fate, but refuse to see their culpability. Utterly selfish and shallow, many may think that these kids deserve nothing from society they abuse at every turn. Its adults who despise and are frightened by them are mere counterpoints throughout the film. An English version of KIDS but without the horrible voyeurism?? Do these kids deserve better from society? Do they a represent a threat to society itself? These kids may be horribly violent, disrespectful, but are incredibly believable. They cannot see outside the confined personal friendships and conflicts, but we are left with a genuine sense of loss and despair at the end of the film. A remarkable and striking British film

A flawed, but a well acted look at kids gone bad in London.

[Merklin · 6/10 · 7 April 2006]

Kidulthood is an energetic snap shot of wasted youth in London that's flawed, but definitely interesting.

For the most part, the young cast (except for a very hammy jamie winstone) give strong, naturalistic performances-particularly noel clarke whos shocking turn as the local badman sam, will instantly make you forget clarkes "oafish boyfriend" routine on doctor who. What gives the performances a higher level of authenticity is the slang and profanity heavy dialogue that serves as an accurate representation of how the kids talk these days (you don't know how old i feel writing that!).

However the films mission to keep things as raw and gritty as possible ends up as its down fall- the script tries so hard to make the kids seem so reckless and hedonistic that the trouble they get into just gets unrealistic and shocking for the sake of being shocking after a while. Also, the story is very predictable- you will know how this one turns out , not even halfway through its running time .

Kidulthood doesn't come close to being as good as the likes of city of god or La haine, but its a well acted drama that I have to commend for trying to show a side of London that many other local films choose to ignore.

A Bleak, Amoral Tale of Dystopian Urban Youth Running Wild (And you'll need more than subtitles if you're from outside the UK!)

[supadude2004 · 7/10 · 15 June 2008]

Firstly, I believe the low rating is unjustified, yet explicable because unless one has had any exposure to the kind of "feral" inner city youths depicted in this movie, then it would at times be next to impossible to understand: Over 95% of those in this movie speak the most uncultured form of English known as "Chav-speak". Even if one watched the movie with subtitles, much of what is said would be indiscernible to those outside the UK; or, dare I say, to those who are too educated to understand how society's lowliest communicate.

Thus, I firmly believe that this movie has been unjustly rated simply because US (& other)viewers could not understand much of the dialogue; and absolutely no concession has been made to simplify verbal exchanges to aid that matter. Nor should it have! That is to say, Kidulthood's writer has skilfully written a tale which is chillingly close to the bone, and every nuance perfectly reflects the gutter English which a growing underclass now understand each other by.

There are no heroes in this movie. And if you need happy endings or reasons why seemingly senseless actions happen - then look elsewhere. No character is particularly likable. And each does their best to be tougher than the next. For that is the only way to survive in such a hostile urban dystopia (which also happens to be modern Britain for many of the under-classes). The 'weak', we soon learn, have little chance of escape. For, in a culture of 'wayward misfits', the most wayward is the most different - the one who is too human and too sensitive.

Those viewers who'll have any chance of understanding the discourse, will also discover a totally amoral tale full of profoundly heartless, dislikeable, occasionally dangerous and fatally deprived youths whose future is so barren that they unwittingly must choose to churn every moment of the present into a wild ride to ultimately nowhere.

7/10. (for a disturbingly accurate, no holds barred, statement on the collapse of urban 'civilisation' as we know it. But... please don't expect to 'enjoy' this movie.)

portrayed real life

[sexy_bexi_baby · 10/10 · 4 October 2006]

As a black girl living in London, I saw how this film portrayed real life. In the scenes at the beginning, in the school, I could relate fully to the events. People may not think that it truly represents black people, or schools in London, I beg to differ. You obviously have not been in a bad enough school. The language used in the film, the slang, is a part of life now. I look at schools on the telly and wish that I do not have to call everyone 'blud'. If I do not, I will get beaten up for 'trying to be white'. Kidulthood was a fantastic film, showing, yes, a different way of life, but a true representation of it. It was actually quite unnerving at how similar life is for my community to that of the film.

Good film. Depicts London Life as a Youth PERFECTLY.

[nick-1346 · 7/10 · 14 March 2006]

As far as realism is concerned with this film. It doesn't get much realer. If you've ever grown up in a council estate in London, or any urban area for that matter, You will fully be able to relate to this film.

In my opinion, the only thing that let this film down, is actually the acting, it wasn't terrible, but it could have been better.

At the beginning, a bullied schoolgirl is the victim of suicide, This is a turning point in the film, and a lot unfolds after this.

The film follows the going-ons of a young teenager named Trevor (Trife), as the film progresses, Trevor finds himself in awkward circumstances involving his uncle (uncle curtis).

If the acting was of a higher standard, I'd be tempted to give this 8/9 out of ten.

Altogether, brilliantly put together film with an even better soundtrack.

Safe, BRAIN-DAMAGE

why all the bad ratings

[wildsheep · 9/10 · 8 March 2006]

I am not sure why this film is getting so many poor ratings. It is an excellent piece of film-making with a cracking script, fine performances and imaginative direction. A real eye opener that deserves a wide audience.

The movie has sparked some controversy in the UK for 'glorifying' the violence, sex and drugs portrayed but that is rubbish, this is essentially a deeply moral tale at heart.

Mark Kermode gave it a very sensible and measured review on his Radio 5 slot and I am in agreement with him.

I predict that a number of the actors in Kidulthood will go on to bigger things. A group of talent to watch.

British stereotypes run the show

[Stampsfightclub · 6/10 · 15 June 2008]

Kidulthood explores the lives of teenagers in London in Huda's interesting and controversial 2006 British drama.

The British media runs riot on any story they can get their hands on and exploit, and in recent years have developed various forms of stereotypes, none more so than the stereotypical "gangster teenager" who swears every other sentence, drinks, does drugs and has a violent motive towards others and this ideology is explored by Doctor Who star Noel Clarke.

Clarke dives deep into the lives of numerous teenagers to bring out the personalities of the teenagers, and his character Sam is a stereotype of a teenager, the use of violence and swearing portray the villain of the narrative. I'm usually against stereotypes being used in films but in this case it is interesting to see how these stereotypes feel about being branded that way, when the teenagers walk into a shop and are accused of a crime they didn't commit just because of their image as this stereotype the media has created.

The stories centre around what is regarded as typical teenage lives, which involve Jamie Winstone's character messing around with older men for drugs, a guy and a girl in a complicated relationship where the girl is pregnant and the idea of suicide is also encoded which is very dramatic.

The acting, direction, dialogue and settings are all extremely poor and given the strong message it could have been done so much better. Regardless the message is there and I couldn't tear myself away even if I wanted to.

The stereotypical view does go over the top, I am 19 and have never seen anyone act as violent or swear as much as the characters in this film. I can see the point, but trying to convey realism was overdone. The stories of each character are interesting, if somewhat of a cliché. Considering everything about this film is poor, it is a surprising entertaining watch.

A good first 10 minutes

[freemantle_uk · 4/10 · 9 February 2009]

Kidulthood has a good first ten minutes, but after that the film falls a part and is no more then a 2 out of 5 star film.

The plot of the film is it is set the day after the suicide of a 15-year-old girl from West London who was bullied by a group of girls and the evil Sam (Noel Clarke). It follows the lives of 3 boys and 2 girls who spend their day off doing drugs, having sex, use sex as currency and commit crimes, whilst also getting chased by Sam.

The first 10 minutes looks at the bullying of Katie (Rebecca Martin), who is attacked constantly by the girls and Sam threats he would kill her if she told her parents. To me this was the most interesting put of the film. Afterwards I felt the film lost a lot of quality and highly unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, I know a minority of teenagers do live in a world of sex, violence, drugs, you know, rock and roll, but not the majority. The film does set out a very negative view of teenagers. As well, too much happens in one day, its trying to be the British version of the film Kids. If the film was spaced out for about a week or two it would be more believable. They are other things to think about, such as why are all the parents unaware of what going on in their children's lives, or it seems that everyone is pretty heartless seeing that a girl killed herself and all the kids think great, they get the day off. The most hardest aspect for me to believe in is the character of Sam. He is meant to a hard-nut bully who strikes fear in the whole school. Firstly, people like that don't stay at school to do A-Levels, they normally don't do well at GCSE level and just get low level work or at best do something at college. Secondly, I just thought he was a f**king loser. All he does is he picks on a 15-year-old girl and his crew is just a bunch of year 11 girls and stread lies that he slept with girls: yeah, real hard. At the climax of the film he attacks Trife (Aml Ameen), there at a party, everyone is just watching in fear, but come-on, if you hate him so much why don't a group of around thirty just kick the living crap out of him?

Basically the film isn't well written. Some of the acting isn't good, a bit over the top, but Jamie Winstone and Rebecca Martin were decent. The film felt like a TV movie. The director, Menhaj Huda, tries too hard and ends up doing clichéd moves, like the flashbacks and the scene seeing Trife and Alisa (Red Madrell) drug and being upset at the same time. However, for it's small budget of £800,000 (very small for a film in London), it was professionally done. The soundtrack isn't too my liking, but its not the sort of music I am into. I know some people will like it.

Basically I didn't think the film was that good, but they is an audience that will like it.

America's 'KIDS' and girls of 'THIRTEEN', meet the UK world of 'KIDULTHOOD'....

[marxthedude · 9/10 · 9 March 2006]

Over the waters, it seems anyone not from England is in love with that wonderful Richard Curtis-like view of the globe, which is neither bad or drastically inaccurate, but covers a very small percentage of what life in the UK and particularly ordinary UK people are actually like.

Refreshingly comes "Kidulthood", an all too accurate if at times sensational version of average school-kids in London. We meet an assortment of characters, most of them only likable on a limited level, who's only motivation is to get through each day and fill the voids with partying, be it with drugs or sex, or petty crime. The film takes us through two days of their lives and how each character, be it the misguided Trife (Aml Ameen) or the sexually motivated Becky (Jamie Winstone) as well as others, on the day when a big party looms and the suicide of a classmate seems lurking in the background.

Growing up on a London housing estate and seeing the changes throughout the years has made me over-critical of films depicting this. The dialogue always being too polished or too neat, the accents as caricatured as Dick Van Dyke's cockney chimney sweep (the recent "Green Street" and anything Guy Ritchie suffered from this in spades) but refreshingly all this is absent here. The performances are very real, so real, that it would be easy to confuse them as weak, particularly with characters such as Claire, played pitch perfectly by Madeleine Fairley with her words always having that hollow ring of someone saying what everyone around her wants to hear, rather than what they're really thinking. The language is fluid and the style completely believable; this is an excellent window into an average group of modern teens, as depressing as that is to admit.

Marrying it to the excellent visual style and the lack of obvious moralising is both a strength and a weakness. Visually fast paced, using sliding split-screen and cinema scope, married to the creme of British gangster rap, this looks great, hiding it's indie roots and looking more like Steven Soderberg's 'Ocean's Eleven' than Larry Clark's 'Kids'. The pros of this are the audience it needs to reach will interpret this as 'cool' and maybe will end up seeing the characters as teen movie icons, more than stopping and thinking what the overall message is.

It's disturbing, mostly in small gestures rather than the grand shocking ones. A pretty teenage girl is bullied, punched with a bone shattering crunch as her attacker screams at her to pick up the ring that flew off her finger, Claire is intimidated by her boyfriend by him warning that he'll tell everyone she is a lousy lay (and that's the clean version) with personal hygiene issues, as she pathetically begs him to stop; it's certainly not a film for those seeking a rose-coloured view of society.

"Kidulthood" is a much needed reply to the belief that England is a pretty cool place and it's teens as going through a harmless phase. It is entertaining but without selling itself out, despite an ending thats a little too explosive to believe.

Not since Garly Oldman's 'Nil By Mouth' has a film seemed so richly realistic and it's to the director and the writer's credit that they have achieved this.

Whilst sad, it's not as 'slash your wrists' depressing as you might assume either; the power of the film is one that lingers after and hopefully it is that, that might reach to people not only affected by what they've seen but most of all identifying with it.

A good film despite the fuss

[goldgreen · 7/10 · 8 November 2016]

As a film buff I rate this as a well edited, pacey, incident filled and coherent 90 minutes that is deservedly a commercial success. As a Londoner I recognise that it provides a welcome break from the light comedy romance featuring toffs in very nice houses style of cinema we have seen too much of. Some of the characters and the situations reminds me of my own days at an inner-London comp. The film works and justifies itself by this alone, but I could not help wishing for more. The main characters are either victims, psychos, bastards, saps or stupid. Its the same for its sequel Adulthood. The audience this film is aimed at (the same ones in the film) could do with something a little more aspirational, a little more ambitious. Noel Clarke after having written and starred in the film has escaped the dead end lives of the people he writes about, so he should offer the audience some hope too.

An awful attempt...

[rolzybaby · 1/10 · 3 December 2006]

I could see where the director was going and what he was trying to express but it was a laughable attempt at conveying serious material. Yes, to a certain extent, people in London 'ghettos' do speak like the actors in the film but the dialogue was simply appalling. The actors, whether they were portraying a downtrodden or a somewhat more privileged youth gave such caricatured and clichéd performances that one could not empathises with a single character. It can hardly be compared to a British 'La Haine' because, unlike La Haine it is so lacking in aesthetic material, i.e. inspired cinematography, gritty realism, and a portrayal of philosophic ideas that it comes across more as a day time soap such as 'Doctors' (as British readers will agree). The material covered had a lot of potential but it was executed in such an uninspired and predictable manner that I have to say I was extremely happy when it ended. The only plus side is that it gave me some of the biggest laughs I have ever experienced whilst watching a film, something akin to inhaling laughing gas - strange for a film which is meant to alert viewers of the desperation of the youth in underprivileged London areas. If you watch it expect to be disappointed.

Brutal

[Burv · 6/10 · 1 July 2008]

I started watching Kidulthood entirely by mistake. I was flicking through the channels and I really didn't want to watch a film, but there was nothing else on, so I watched it for a little while 'just to see what it was like'. Anyway, I think I missed the first five minutes, but I watched the rest of the film, despite continually thinking, 'I'm going to turn this off in a minute, I don't want to watch a film'.

I can't relate to this film. I'm twenty-two, so only a few years older than the kids starring, but I'm not from London and I didn't grow up 'in da hood'. I have never known anyone who carries, or has carried a knife. I've never seen a gun. Don't get me wrong though, I'm working class and live in a working class area, about forty miles from London. I know these things go on, but I've never seen them and so, I cannot relate to Kidulthood.

Now then, I found the storyline fairly believable. The idea of covering everything that society despises in kids, into one film and a twenty-four hour period, was an interesting one. As the film covers one twenty-four hour period, everything happens quickly. I wouldn't say that was necessarily a bad thing, far from it. From scene to scene something always happens in this film - it's never given a chance to sit back or plod along. There's always something happening.

Kidulthood is brutal in it's portrayal of kids and their habits. It's definitely worth a watch.

Underrated writing due to lack of compressive cultural insight/appeal

[joshuasalah · 7/10 · 4 November 2023]

As someone who grew up in a mixed cultural society and understands the concepts this film embodies and how this film resonated with the same demograph it's fair to say it is abit underrated and critically viewed for its rating. I could very much see why the typical lamen would struggle to understand the pace and particular intentions in this film however some of the acting by the lead characters at time such as Noel and Adam is superb however if untrained in British slang and cultraism I could see the acting coming across as abit excessive if this film was released in 2023 it would do a lot more.

Good film - absurdly low rating

[jeremy-liebster · 10/10 · 8 June 2006]

Like one of the other reviewers on this site I am going to vote 10 out of 10 for Kidulthood to try to redress the anomaly of its incredibly low score. Something is surely wrong with the IMDb system when most of the reviews on the site are positive yet the film has such a low rating. Anyway I thought Kidulthood was a very realistic 'urban streetkids' film which captured perfectly the style, speech and violence that happens every day around London's inner city schools. I thought the acting was absolutely fine especially considering the age of most of the actors - have those criticising the actors actually seen the way that teenage kids behave because I think they were all very believable. The film was tense, violent and gripping and is a nice London take on the issues of teenage gang violence.

Shocking, gritty, real and powerful

[ethanbresnett · 7/10 · 27 January 2021]

I was really pleasantly surprised by Kidulthood. I was expecting a sort of slightly R rated Grange Hill, following a bunch of troubled kids getting up to no good with minimal depth, but Kidulthood is so much more than this. It had loads more character development and exploration, and challenging themes than I had anticipated.

What I really loved about this film was that it managed to drop us into its world, its relationships, its tone and themes almost instantly and effortlessly. The film was so grounded that we didn't need any clunky exposition or time to become acclimatised to the world, we could just get stuck straight in. This authenticity was carried throughout the rest of the film and was a great foundation to build off.

The plot was fantastic, throwing in quite a few twists and turns, with some real sucker punch moments. I found it to be a really engaging story with a great selection of characters, who all had great chemistry. The performances were all really solid, and you can tell that Noel Clarke was writing from experience. All the language, mannerisms, dialogue etc felt very real.

A really solid film which exceeded my expectations.

Well-made and intriguing but a rather downbeat film

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 9/10 · 23 June 2006]

STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits

When a girl who has suffered horrific bullying at school commits suicide, it leaves 15 year old Trife (Aml Ameen) and his two friends with the day off school. Trife starts the day by learning the unwanted news that his on-off girlfriend is pregnant and the baby might be his. Frustrated at hearing this, he sets off with his friends and embarks on a day of increasingly dangerous mischief. Juxtaposed with their story is that of his girlfriend, her qualms about keeping her baby and her moral free mate willing to do anything to score money and drugs. Their paths are set to collide and result in a devastating climax.

Kidulthood has that look and feel of a film out to shock (it managed a 15 certificate, but it must have only just scraped it!) If it's painting a picture of what life is really like for chavvy kids like this living on housing estates in inner-city areas, then the film manages to leave an even more downbeat and depressing taste in the mouth than it already did. It's well-acted enough, with a good lead in Ameen (who I recognized as Officer Lewis from The Bill-wouldn't have thought he'd come off as a 15 year old though) and a decent supporting cast, including an attractive presence in Madeleine Fairley (but, what can I say, a chavette's a chavvete!) It has a fine soundtrack, too, including some notable work from Mike Skinner and The Streets. It's far from a bad film, as it is, too, it's just so relentlessly bleak and with little in the way of humour and light that it never manages to come off as a truly enjoyable experience in any way. Still, it delivers what it says and more. ****

Bleak, but not terrible.

[Thomas-Giffin · 7/10 · 30 April 2012]

This drama film about London youths is bleak, depressing, violent, shocking and simultaneously deep, stylish and witty. Much like the characters portrayed in the film, you think you what is going on and that you've seen it all before. The greatest strength of the film is not letting you down in that respect by delivering what you expect whilst at the same time, providing a bit more dimension and depth than you'd expect.

When a girl at at a West London school kills herself because of bullying, the students are given a day off for mourning and this film is about that 24 hour period. Needless to say, there is not much mourning done by the principle characters as they prepare for a house party in the evening and on the way they drink, do drugs, rob, flirt and do sexy things.

Without wishing to sounds like the old man I'm not, considering the film follows the exploits of these characters and they are meant to be around 15 years old, they do a lot of dubious and highly illegal activities. However, as I mentioned earlier, whilst you initially see the characters and judge them instantly as hoodies/thugs etc, throughout the film it is made clear that everyone has a surprisingly deep character, something which I started to notice more and more as the film went on.

The tone of the film is pretty unrelenting though in its approaches of violence and revenge, something which may be in place to put the viewers in a similar state of mind as the characters. However, the effect of all this is that film operates mostly as a diary of single events with not much narrative driving each event. It ends up being 'meet up - flirt with lady - rob short - beat up man' without a consistent narrative drive linking each event together.

That being said, the film is remarkably well acted and directed. A directorial style is present which propels the film along and keeps the various characters and their stories linked together. Add to this a fiery soundtrack of UK rap (Dizzee rascal et al.) and you have a style of film that adds onto the power of the events themselves.

All in all, a potent and thought provoking look at inner city London.

Excellent DVD stocking filler for members of the BNP

[Namron7 · 1/10 · 8 November 2009]

I saw this for the first time recently, and simply had to comment even though the film is a few years old.

This is the worst film that I have seen in years! Firstly, it hangs on the tails of the 'Broken Britain' tedious myth that is perpetrated and propagated by the likes of the Daily Mail. Certainly, all of the issues depicted by the film exist and are fully worthy of attention. But could they all exist at once? And do they all happen all the time? Is this what life is about in London today for the average teenager???? No! And that is only one of the reasons why this film is ridiculous.

As for the characters, the lot of them could have been put up against a wall and shot and I would have applauded. For instance, I was glad Trife was killed – and I don't think that was the director's intention unless he's far more subtle than I give him credit for. In fact, they missed a trick here. The characters are so horrible that had they killed them off one-by-one a la Final Destination - instead of messing about with a laughable Romeo and Juliet plot (Pffffttt! Like anyone would care whether those toerags got back together or not!) - it would have been far more enjoyable. I would have particularly enjoyed seeing Katie's dad die in a freak laptop computer incident. I could go on, but I don't think it's healthy....

Like I said at the start, I'm a bit confused about the 'Broken Britain' basket this thing sits in, and I really wonder what the intention of the director/screen writer was. Incredibly, an Asian director and a black scriptwriter seem to have come up with a propaganda film for the BNP that gets around the present hate laws. Here is my thinking:

i. The black and mixed race pupils beat Katie: a tall, beautiful, middle class white girl, forcing her to admit to being a 'virgin' (by implication a heinous crime according to their 'black ass' thinking) leading her to commit suicide. Trife – a black boy - then 'stands up' for Katie by declaring that he had sex with her – thereby clearing her of her 'crime'. Hopefully he wasn't asked to speak at the funeral….

ii. Then, after being given a day-off school for mourning and quiet reflection as a result of Katie's death, the black and mixed-race guys instead decide to go off on a spree of casual sex, violent confrontation, knife-wielding thuggery, drug taking and general mayhem on London's streets and shops – all set to various rap 'choons'. It is understood by all that the day will culminate in a 'well wicked party' where more of the same will transpire. Trife also finds a bit of time to visit his mentor: an uncle who (surprise) is a black, drug-dealing, murderous, violent, gun-running 'gangsta' who likes to carve his initials on people's faces with a Stanley knife.

(Wot d'ya fink so far, Mr Griffin?) Let's carry on for a bit:

iii. Encouraged by the example of the males, the late Katie's female classmates also opt for a contemplation-free day. Firstly, mixed-race Alisa kicks things off by announcing that she's pregnant in a mobile phone conversation. There is some confusion over who the father is, and this inspires the noble Trife – the recipient of the call and the father - to tell her to eff off. In order to help the tearful Alisa cope with this double blow of pregnancy and rejection, her friend Becky suggests a day of shopping, prostitution, casual sex and drugs. Alisa – after a bit of brow-furrowing - thinks this idea has potential. Off they go.

iv. White girls: the characters of Becky and Claire are carefully drawn to conform to Daily Mail reader stereotypes of the 'type of white girls who hang around with blacks' i.e. total sluts. Becky will sleep with anyone for nothing (at the end she wonders around the 'well wicked' party asking people to service her) but prefers to do it for drugs and/or money. Claire, who's a bit more middle-class than Becky, will give you a quickie after twenty seconds of chimp chat-up - if she can fit you in whilst her boyfriend pops to the newsagent for a packet of cigs……and Claire's mum will provide the condoms with a cheerful smile. Sam, ever the gentleman, threatens to publicly reveal Claire's personal hygiene problems. So what conclusion can we draw? I know! Smelly white female pigs doing it with blacks, ugh! Do I get a star, miss?

v. Black misogyny: generally, black males in this film score poorly in aspects of courtly love. There are numerous examples but Sam's treatment of both Katie and Claire is pertinent, as is Uncle Curtis' slap of his girlfriend when she interrupts his cretinous musings and Trife's initial reaction to Alisa's pregnancy. Becky's boyfriend (a deliberately greasy/swarthy/foreign type) gloats over the fact that she's only fifteen and that he has such power over her. Trife charms a twenty-six year old white female architect (she being unaccountably attracted to him) but prefers to steal her purse. Etc, etc, etc. Sigh.

The plot lacks all maturity, depth and development. One would be entirely forgiven for thinking that the scriptwriter was himself fifteen – if not younger. In short: this film would be pleasing to:

• Some fifteen year old boys, who might feel disenfranchised by the way that the girls in their classroom are so very far ahead of them in maturity

• BNP members, for whom it would make an ideal stocking filler

Broken Britain, m'botty. One star for the teenage actors, and no stars for anything else.

Review

[BigtimeFoShow · 10/10 · 5 March 2006]

So. Kidulthood. There has been a lot of talk about this film and how it's a little over the top that it happens in one day. That may be so, but the issues faced in the film are what that demographic goes through and i think by audience reaction so far the film makers choice to show this was correct. I also believe people are missing the point. Film like books doesn't have to answer question. I thought The film itself is beautifully shot. Tufano has used everything at his disposal to make the low budget work, and with clever editing and music any weak directing is quickly covered. the acting is amazing with the Young Ameen (Trife)an Madrell (Alisa)using their raw talent to put in Stella performances. One wonders if they can get any better than this. If they can i believe the future of British TV/Film is in good hands. Noel Clarke's performance as (Sam, the Bully) was downright amazing. Seeing him totally convince me that he was not Wyman or Mickey, (the characters he plays in two well known shows)Was a treat. His menace and the intimidation factor he bought to Sam showed that many films that have used a British rapper in the parts may have missed a trick. (Although i have heard that in real life he is more like Sam than the those other characters mentioned. Apart from thee abusive bullying part of course.) Jamie winstone is also a great as (Becky) and the laughs come from Deacon (Jay) Clarke's script although great, suffers at times with the over use of bad language and violent scenes which seem a little too much. the general chatter of the young people is real enough though snatched straight from the streets of Ladbroke grove itself. You believe the conversations the kids have and kind of like their youthful ignorance. The lack of police is a bit unreal and you would think parents would be around a little more but the film makers say that this film is supposed to be from the kids point of view and not many kids get up to bad stuff with mum around. Overall i would say that although not perfect, i would say that this is the best homegrown film in at least ten years. You will love or hate this movie (I personally loved it) but you should definitely see it. British film, in all it's low budget grittyness is back. You get me! (That's what the kids say right?)

Fairly realistic, if sometimes exaggerated, portrayal of life for London teens

[lebigmac1-1 · 6/10 · 21 August 2006]

To some people Kidulthood may appear to be quite a far-fetched story with regard to how some of the youth, especially the children from working class families, may treat life and indeed how life treats them in the London of today. But on closer inspection I feel that the IMDb rating for this film does not quite reflect it's achievements. Although I can see why certain individuals might not like the film or some of the characters in it, I have to say that a lot of it rings true. The way the characters spoke to each other was spot-on, as were most of the locations. Just stand on any London High Street or sit on the back of any London bus and you will hear for yourself that the English being spoke amongst the kids today is almost indecipherable. The acting was fine by most of the cast, including the newcomers. I think Noel Clarke (who also wrote) was particularly convincing as the bully, Sam. The violence was realistic, particularly the final scene. Baseball bats are far more accessible than the gun (believe it or not, most National newspapers would have you believe otherwise, I know!) and this gave the film a more realistic feel. If I have any real criticism of the movie it would be that I feel they could have made it more believable by setting it over a longer period of time, a weekend perhaps would have done it more justice than just a single day. On the whole definitely worth a watch.

Prurient and gratuitous nonsense.

[trpuk1968 · 1/10 · 21 July 2007]

There's plenty of good movies about the difficulties some, lets repeat, some, teenagers experience growing up. This isn't one of them. There's an alarming level of mysogyny expressed by undeveloped characters who are simply ciphers. The girls are all slaggy tarts ready to make out with anything in trousers, the boys wanna be gangster types. 'You re my girl...' Women only exist here only in relation to men. This 'film' does a disservice to young people by avoiding delving into the complexity of the characters, instead titillating its audience with scenes of underage sex and drug use. It would be nice to see a film from the UK portraying the experiences of young black boys / men which wasn't about gangstas and guns. There's lots of interesting stories out there, is there a director around to tell them? Don t waste ninety minutes of your life on this, go see Mean Creek, Los Olvidados, Bully, Kids, Suburbia, If, El Bola, Barrio, La Haine instead...

Controversial and clever

[PinkMascara · 7/10 · 17 October 2006]

My friends and I went to see this as part of the BBFC's film week with our media class and found ourselves somewhat surprised. Although none of the cast are particularly well-known actors, there was good chemistry between them and the story lines were believable and realistic.

Some people may find the film offensive with over 70+ uses of the "F" word and somewhat graphic violence, but if you look beyond this it is a film that I think everyone should see, if not just to get a glimpse into the reality of "Kidulthood" in 21st century England. It's not as great as you think...

Pretty amazing...

[juk275 · 22 July 2011]

I was lucky to catch this on BBC Three a couple of weeks ago... it was worth it! The writing can go from funny and menace and then to sorrow and sadness. It packs-a-punch. The three best performances of the film are from Aml Ameen (Trife), Jaime Winstone (Becky) and the writer himself, Noel Clarke (Sam). Ameen's character goes through a range of different emotions throughout the whole film, and Ameen does well to capture this. Winstone is brilliant as a girl who does not know how to respect her body and Clarke gives a menacing performance as the school bully. The rest of the cast led by newcomers Adam Deacon, Femi Oyeniran, Cornell John and Red Madrell, but also contains some famous faces (Rafe Spall, Nicholas Hoult, ex-CBBC presenter and presenter of The Gadget Show, Ortis Deley and John Simm's wife, Kate McGowan) is a brilliant cast that is full of different actors from different backgrounds, which is what makes Kidulthood stand out... because it has diversity! Kidulthood is a harrowing look at the lives of young children in the UK and what they go through. You will not regret this.