VS.

Coming of Age/Society, United Kingdom 2018

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Eminem's ‘8 Mile’ in the British seaside resort: anger is probably the emotion Adam feels most often. Anger at his foster carers, his social worker and, above all, his mother, who gave him up when he was little. After destroying his room in an argument with his new foster parents, he has to move again. This is to be his last stop: an elderly lady who knows all about difficult cases and who will take him in until he has to find a new family or comes of age. This brings Adam back to his hometown of Southend-on-Sea. He meets Makayla, a bright young woman who takes him along to a secret rap battle. It soon becomes clear: Adam has talent. Instead of shouting or throwing things, he can put his anger and disappointment into hard-hitting lines and gets applause for it. Thanks to his burgeoning self-confidence, he deals with his past, but also with his responsibility for his own future. "This bracing feature debut, set in the rap battle scene in Southend, is a showcase for an electric collection of new British talent. Director Ed Lilly deftly handles a cliched story – there are parallels with everything from Eminem in 8 Mile to boxing drama Creed – giving it a distinctive, persuasive edginess." (The Guardian) "Swindells plays the angry young rapper in an appealing fashion, capturing both his hostility and resentment and his very obvious vulnerability. Director Lilly combines gritty, Mean Streets-style scenes of Adam hanging tough with episodes of family melodrama. In the latter stages, the film becomes increasingly sentimental, and even risks turning into a full blown tearjerker, but it never feels trite or manipulative." (The Independent)
100 min
HD
FSK 12
Audio language:
English
Subtitles:
German

More information

Director:

Ed Lilly

Sound Design:

Alex Outhwaite

Cast:

Connor Swindells (Adam)

Fola Evans-Akingbola (Makayla)

Ruth Sheen (Fiona)

Emily Taaffe (Lisa)

Nicholas Pinnock (Terry)

Shotty Horroh (Slaughter)

Paige Meade (Miss-Quotes)

Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Odds)

Ellie James (Katie)

Original title:

VS.

Original language:

English

Format:

1:2.35 HD, Color

Age rating:

FSK 12

Audio language:

English

Subtitles:

German

Subtitles (SDH):

German