Adolescence (2025) Cre: Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham
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There has been a significant amount of conversation surrounding this new Netflix Original limited series, from creators Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, as well as director Philip Barantini. It has sparked mass dialogue about toxic masculinity, patriarchy, misogyny, and violence towards women and girls. This made it essential viewing for me, particularly considering how well received it has been.
I was a huge fan of the filmmaking that went into this show - the decision to film each episode in one hour-long take was genius for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it was incredibly impressive from a filmmaking standpoint. The acting, the props, the set design, the crew - everything had to be perfect for a whole hour, and it just about was. It was utterly breathtaking to watch.
Secondly, the constant, unending shots allowed the audience to be pulled into the story and along with the characters. It felt like I was in the rooms with them as the narrative unfolded. The camerawork necessary to achieve not only the long takes, but the various close-ups, drone footage, and tracking shots, was absolutely exemplary. I cannot sing the praises of this series enough.
The film's themes and story are obviously very heavy and emotionally charged, as well as being incredibly topical to the current state of society. The decision to tackle themes like toxic masculinity, the patriarchy, generational divides, Internet culture, incel culture, the gender divide, teenagers on social media, generational trauma, and so much more was no doubt a challenge, but one that the writers and creators succeeded in doing excellently.
The story is split across the four episodes, and delved into a separate facet of the case, as well as the people in and around it. I found episodes one and three to be particularly well-done. That said, the acting necessary to make all four episodes so good should not be understated. This was a phenomenal piece of television from start to finish. The emotions I felt throughout the series were very intense, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I was left with tears in my eyes on numerous occasions. It was very powerful TV.
I have to talk about the young Owen Cooper's performances first, because he was brilliant. What made his acting even more impressive was that this was his first ever acting gig, which is absurd, considering the ease with which he portrayed a very complex young man in the series. There were times in episode three where he was legitimately frightening, and the little mannerisms he brought to the role were so believable.
I must also stress how good both Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty were in their respective roles too. Not only did both of them exhibit a wonderful degree of chemistry with Cooper, but they were able to produce highly effective, deeply vulnerable, and very nuanced performances, that were incredibly transfixing. Both Graham and Doherty deserve awards nominations for their appearances, at the very least.
Credit should also go to the likes of Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, and Amari Bacchus for their respective supporting performances. Walters in particular showed some terrific quality at various times during the show, and I was honestly very pleased with everyone who performed. All the younger actors gave it their all, and all the adults played their parts really well.
Overall, there is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the greatest pieces of media that Netflix has ever produced. It is immaculate. I truly hope that it receives the awards acclaim that it deserves, because I personally cannot sing the praises of it enough. Every so often, someone creates something special, and this limited series is very special. It brings a lot of attention to a number of very serious topics, and hopefully those discussions push society forwards towards something safer and happier for everybody.
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