Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gritty British teen drama has sex, drugs, violence, suicide.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Kidulthood
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In KIDULTHOOD, a group of 15-year-olds in a tough London neighborhood are given the day off school following the suicide of a classmate. With the day off, teens Trife (Aml Ameen), Alisa (Red Madrell), Becky (Jaime Winstone), Jay (Adam Deacon), and Mooney (Femi Oyeniran) engage in a blur of drugs, alcohol, sex, crime, and violence, which ultimately leads to further tragedy.
Is It Any Good?
The movie that put Noel Clarke on the map, this intense crime drama is both hard to watch and difficult to look away from. Characters in Kidulthood are certainly not role models, but many of them show empathy and loyalty amid the various acts they commit in order to survive their environment. Mandrel's Alisa in particular is portrayed with warmth, but viewers catch glimpses beneath the surface of most of the teens. Many are acting out of hurt, fear, isolation, or desperation. They're forced to portray more confident and aggressive personas to avoid looking weak and becoming the victims of others. But the movie doesn't dwell on this for long—it's looking to shock right from the start. From the language and violence in the opening school scenes to the suicide that happens shortly after, the tone is set, and it's a relentless one until the tragic final moments. Much of that is thanks to the naturalistic acting that gives viewers an almost fly-on-the-wall feel at times, and a new generation of young stars was born out of the movie's slow-burn reputation. The themes are mature and disturbing, but a reality for some young people, and the film can encourage important, impactful discussion between the parents and teens who buckle in to watch it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of survival in Kidulthood. What did different characters do in order to survive their environments? What pressures did they face from others? What personas did they take on to protect themselves?
What did you think of the level of violence in the movie? Did it add to the impact of the story or was it too intense? Do you think it was realistic for the environment?
Were drinking, smoking, or drug use glamorized? Were there realistic consequences for their use? Why does that matter?
How were female characters portrayed in the film? What was their relationship with sex? Was it different to the boys' relationship with sex?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. What did it contribute to the movie? Is a certain kind of language expected in a film like this?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 11, 2008
- Cast : Aml Ameen , Red Madrell , Noel Clarke
- Director : Menhaj Huda
- Studio : Image Entertainment
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : School ( High School )
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : pervasive language, violent content, sexual material, drug and alcohol use - all involving teens
- Last updated : August 3, 2026
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