Adolescence Mini-series Review

Adolescence (2025)
Mini-series - 4 episodes

Watch Adolescence on Netflix
Written by: Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham
Directed by: Philip Barantini
Starring: Ashley Walters, Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Faye Marsay, Erin Doherty
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
When a 13-year-old is accused of murdering a classmate, his family, therapist, and the detectives are all left asking what really happened.

Verdict
This is amazing. From the single continuous shot in each episode to the writing and how it allows the actors to emote in the pauses between dialog. Everything about this series is so deliberate, from what it shows or doesn't to the story structure. It's a heartbreaking premise where a family wrestles with the accusation. Every episode is a different character searching for answers, and the third episode best exemplifies this series with unparalleled acting. Ultimately there is no answer to the core question. We're left with a devastated community.
Watch It.

Review
The first episode wastes no time opening in media res with the police executing a warrant on a family of four. The teenage son Jamie (Owen Cooper) is suspected of murder. The family is utterly shocked as their lives are instantly upturned. We ride with Jamie and the police back to the station, wondering if this kid really killed someone. I had to assume the police have credible evidence to arrest him, but we're just as bewildered as the family. The cops need Jamie's father Eddie (Stephen Graham) present for questioning, and we get how the son and father feel; scared and mad. The interrogation is intense. Then we're shown video footage of the crime. I wondered what Eddie, Jamie, and their lawyer thought. Where does the show go from that point?

E1: Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper play Eddie, Jamie

With episode two the cops seek answers at the school. DI Bascome (Ashley Walters) fails to get any answers until his son, who also attends the school, provides insight. While the cops thought Jamie and Katie were friends, her messages on Insta were the opposite. While canvassing the school, one of Jamie's friends flees.

I didn't realize until the second episode that all the episodes are a single continuous shot. The show is so engrossing I missed it. I noticed in episode two and checked the first one. The technical side is amazing, but that also gives actors a chance to act and emote. Netflix UK posted to Twitter that each episode truly was a one shot. They planned for ten takes for each episode, but that became many more as takes were abandoned. With some mistakes filming continued while other mistakes required a restart. For episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 they used takes 2, 13, 11, 16.

Episode three features a psychologist, Briony (Erin Doherty) interviewing Jamie. She has to assess his mental state. We know what happened, but the question of why remains. We're analyzing Jamie, from what he says to how he reacts to the questions. The cops sought a motive in the previous episode, will this one provide it? Jamie claims he didn't do it, upset that he's stuck in this facility. He goes off, screaming and knocking things around. Briony is anxious as Jamie screams that no one tells him what to do. It's a lot of rage, and this episode is tense. We're in the interview room nearly the entire time. It's impressive the actors could do this for a full episode. We discover that Jamie asked Katie out but was rebuffed. I wasn't sure what Jamie's views on the events are. The cops think he's guilty and we've seen evidence but he claims he did nothing. At the end of the interview he flies into another rage, upset Briony is leaving and demands to know if she likes him. There's the implication of toxic masculinity and what Jamie thinks it means to be a man. That may have influenced him. Several factors can shape perception. It's not an excuse for what Jamie did, nor should it be, but throughout this series we wonder about the motive.

E3: Owen Cooper, Erin Doherty play Jamie, Briony

Episode four is thirteen months later and focuses on Jamie's family and the aftermath they endure. I still had so many questions, but this episode's answer is that the show is not about the crime but the ripple effects it creates. The family is infamous in the town. Vandalism causes them to go to the store where Eddie is recognized. The sales associate assures Eddie he's on their side, but it's still attention Eddie doesn't want. Eddie eventually flies into a rage, and we understand why. That doesn't negate the fact that Jamie may very well have learned rage through his father. Jamie's parents wrestle with what they should have done differently. They feel responsible, and it's a heartbreaking conclusion. The parents wonder how Jamie and his sister Lisa turned out so differently. What did they do wrong with Jamie and right with Lisa?

This show is methodical from what it shows in each episode to what it doesn't. We don't see Jamie in the final episode. The single shot makes us feel like we're in the action as it unfolds, and it captures the small moments and the silences that video often ignores and cuts. Those pauses give the audience a chance to internalize what's happening. The entire series is solemn. We watch this family try to navigate a terrible situation. In the last episode we begin to explore their shame. We're left wondering what's the root of the issue and what really happened. The series main point is how dangerous life for kids can be with so many influences. The root of Jamie's problem is his perception of what it means to be a man. While his father may have played some small part, social media likely play the biggest part. The internet was meant to bring the world together but more often then not it divides people.