Parents' Guide to Brotherhood

There's a tonal shift in this third and final movie in the Kidulthood trilogy, which feels a little jarring next to the first two, but just about works on its own. Brotherhood is definitely glossier and more slick than its predecessors, but loses something in the process. Characters are making lives for themselves with cute kids and fancy houses, and even the criminal underworld are "laying low" in beautiful white-fronted West London homes. The movie also introduces humor—a few aspects of which work, but most fall flat. Previously empathetic and thoughtful character Mooney (Arnold Oceng) is reduced to a bit of a clown-like state here, and "current" (for 2016) references feel shoe-horned in. There's some amusement to be found in the fact that the previously cool kids are now over-the-hill in the eyes of the young teens coming up, and them being called out for their out-of-touch lingo will likely get a few laughs. Other than Mooney, Blue Mandrel is an empathetic through-thread here as Elisa—the relatively sweet-natured teen of the first film whose baby bump is now a likable teen daughter. It's rewarding to see her story arc come out well. But elsewhere the film gets a bit lost and the edgy energy of the original is long gone. Clarke showboats even more than in the last film, not just mugging for the camera, but pausing intense scenes for reflective monologues with heavy-handed messages that feel out of place. Compared to the previous two movies, this falls short, but as a separate entity, it's an entertaining enough crime drama that marks an end—if not an entirely satisfactory one—to an impactful franchise.