2. Kidulthood – The Plot
The film opens showing a school at lunch break with children playing football, while
middle class student Blake gives out invitations to a party. The scene switches to
Trevor “Trife” Hector using the drill press, boring out an unseen object later found out
to be converting a replica gun into a real one. Alisa comments on how she “doesn’t
feel well” and thinking about not attending the party, but her promiscuous best friend
Becky encourages her to go. We see Sam Peel spitting into Katie’s hair and asking her
where his girlfriend Claire is, but Katie says she doesn’t know. Jay is seen kissing and
fingering Claire; she asks Jay if he is scared and he replies negatively. After break, Sam
and his gang encounter Trife, Moony and Jay and after insulting them and forcing
them to pose for pictures, steal Jay’s sister’s Game Boy and slaps Trife. In class, Trife
defends Katie from a group of girls led by Sam, beating her up. Katie ends up hanging
herself and the whole year group at school are given the day off school. The film then
uses the “day in the life of” device, beginning with a group of “kidults” getting the day
off school after Katie’s suicide as a result of being bullied. The film then slowly builds
up to the climactic house party. It revolves around three teenagers: Trevor, who is
more commonly known by his street name Trife, Jay and Moonz.
3. PlotTrife is being tempted into the gangster lifestyle by his uncle who asks him to do illegal errands, but
simultaneously Alisa is offering a chance of a better life. However, a rumour that Alisa has slept with
Sam might influence this life-changing decision. Trife has to deal with the school bully, Sam, who is
out for revenge after Jay steals his girlfriend Claire and his Weed, and after Trife, Jay and Moony beat
Sam up in his own house during a break-in to retrieve Jay’s sister’s Game Boy. On their escape from
Sam’s house, they knock Sam’s mother over by accident, which further enrages him. At the same
time, Alisa has just learned that she’s pregnant, and her friend Becky wants to take her out on a drug
and shopping binge. Alisa considers whether to keep the baby and wonders if Trife (who thinks it’s
Sam’s baby) will help her raise their child. After Moony and Jay abandon Trife because of an
argument, he goes to see his Uncle, who forces Trife to torture a man from earlier who forgot to pay
him by giving him a Glasgow Smile. After seeing this Trife decides what his decision is and abandons
his gangster lifestyle. The film heads toward a conclusion with Katie’s brother set on revenge for his
sister’s suicide and with Sam looking for payback both head to the house party being thrown by
Blake. Trife and Alisa reconcile and decide to have the baby, whilst Becky tries to hook up first with
Moony and then with Jay. Sam arrives, armed with a baseball bat, and attacks Trife because of the
break-in earlier in the film in Sam’s house. Trife is helped by Jay, who is also beaten. Trife is seriously
injured after a straight blow to his stomach with a baseball bat. Moony steps in holding a knife, but
cannot bring himself to stab Sam. Katie’s brother Lenny arrives, brandishing a pistol he procured
from Trife’s uncle. He threatens Sam, who cowers and pleas for his life, but Trife prevents Sam’s
murder with his final words of “He’s not worth it”. Then, as Katie’s brother is leaving, Sam insults
him. Lenny fires the pistol, only to have it backfire due to a poor conversion from a replica to a real
gun. Lenny and Sam flee the scene as the paramedics arrive to help Trife, Jay insults the police for
not turning up sooner and Moony restrains him. But it’s too late, Trife’s injuries from the baseball bat
are fatal and he dies in Alisa’s arms. The film ends with a montage of pictures of what each of the
characters did afterwards.
5. Locations
Overhead train stations to show the
teenage transportation in London
reflecting on them not having to go
through barriers to pay for
transportation
This is the outer streets of oxford
street. This is an alley that leads out of
oxford street and the mood is also set
dark to reflect on the ghetto teenager
look
6. Lighting
As you can see the mood is
set to be dark and gloomy
because he lighting is. And it
emphasizes on the darker
sides of London
Here we have the same shot
only it has been reversed and it
shows the back of Trevor
walking into the light which
reminds the viewers that he’s
still a good boy as he walks into
the light out of the darkness
7. Racism
• She’s getting picked on by a a group of foreign girls who
abuse physically for being white and quiet. She then goes
on to killing herself because it got too much for her too
handle
8. Camera shots
Here we have the same shot
only it has been reversed and it
shows the back of Trevor
walking into the light which
reminds the viewers that he’s
still a good boy as he walks into
the light out of the darkness
9. Crime
Here Trevor reveals that he steals a
woman's purse I order to return it to
her later. Jay steals the purse causing
a fight between the two friends as jay
wants the credit cards and Trevor
wants to give it back. There is a fight
between positivity and negativity
Here Moony takes out a knife to
threaten another man that they was
fighting, which reflects on what
teenagers do in everyday life. It is
occasionally the the cowardly that
carry weapons which relates to
Moony’s personality
10. Ending
• The ending of the film is very sad. The whole school are at a part and Trevor is
reunited with Alisha and finally are happy together. Sam arrives, armed with a
baseball bat, and attacks Trife because of the break-in earlier in the film in Sam’s
house. Trife is helped by Jay, who is also beaten. Trife is seriously injured after a
straight blow to his stomach with a baseball bat. Moony steps in holding a knife,
but cannot bring himself to stab Sam. Katie’s brother Lenny arrives, brandishing a
pistol he procured from Trife’s uncle. He threatens Sam, who cowers and pleas for
his life, but Trife prevents Sam’s murder with his final words of “He’s not worth it”.
Then, as Katie’s brother is leaving, Sam insults him. Lenny fires the pistol, only to
have it backfire due to a poor conversion from a replica to a real gun. Lenny and
Sam flee the scene as the paramedics arrive to help Trife, Jay insults the police for
not turning up sooner and Moony restrains him. But it’s too late, Trife’s injuries
from the baseball bat are fatal and he dies in Alisa’s arms. The film ends with a
montage of pictures of what each of the characters did afterwards
