Directed by Thierry Poiraud, Don’t Grow Up, is not your typical young adult story. It’s almost brutal and disgusting. The unique movie is a horror movie that might mesmerize horror fans because it brings a whole new level of horrifying.
If you are a horror fan, you might be familiar with Poiraud’s Goal of the Dead. Like Dead, Don’t Grow Up flourishes in a world of terror where the possibility of survival is limited.
A group of teenage delinquents living in a youth center wake up to find themselves all alone with no one to watch over them. The teens celebrate their newfound freedom by partying, playing loud music and visualizing a life without guardians.
After the excitement fades, they decide to leave the group home for good. Upon arriving in the nearby town, they find the streets deserted, and in a post-apocalyptic state. Now, the real story brings us to the outskirts of London, where six teens find themselves without supervision and immediately take to making the most of their new privilege. No longer limited to the space of their detention center, they explore the inner city with Liam, played by McKell David, as their self-appointed leader.
After Liam’s girlfriend, played Natifa Mai, walks off after an argument, she has an aggressive confrontation with the group’s supervisor that leaves her wounded. Discovering that the attack is not isolated and is the result of a widespread epidemic that leaves children and adolescents unaffected, the group must defend themselves against manic adults, paranoid children and, ultimately, their own maturity.
The few adults they do encounter all seem to be infected by a mysterious epidemic, making them blood-thirsty and psychotic. They try to discover a way to survive against the zombie-like adults while helping the destitute children. In order to survive, they realize the importance of growing up and taking responsibility. They need to band together and find a route to safety. These zombie adults are nothing like the kind you typically see of late. These are fast and can think on their feet, which adds even more to the horror.
The undercurrent that some of the teens are older than the others and those older will turn into zombies before the others. The unspoke words are subtle and savage with each other. Hence, the movie’s fitting title – Don’t Grow Up.
The Blu-ray includes behind the scenes with director Thierry Poiraud, “Making of Don’t Grow Up,” and I found it interesting following the director’s perspective of the movie. There is another feature, you get a behind-the-scenes look at the cast and their characters.
