Adolescence (Netflix) 

By: Rachel Brodeur

No one says middle school is easy, but Netflix’s Adolescence portrays an ugly and cutting criticism of the world in which children exist. The series opens with British police raiding the Yorkshire home of thirteen year old Jamie Miller. Amidst the chaos and confusion, with Jamie in his pajamas, officers remove him from his space-themed bed sheets, and inform his frantic parents that he is being arrested on suspicion of murder. 

The scene is frenzied and its intensity is heightened by the camera's movement, which follows each character closely, immersing the audience in the perspective of a bystander. The effect is intentional and a part of an ambitious undertaking by director Philip Barantini (Accused, Malpractice) where each episode of Adolescence is filmed as one continuous shot. Reportedly, each episode was filmed twice as a fluid uninterrupted act, allowing Barantini the choice of the best version of the take. Lead actor, Stephen Graham (Snatch, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) who plays Eddie Miller, the accused’s father, compares the work to that of live theater, where actors feed off of the energy and emotion of each other and rely on the tightness of the script. However, unlike a play, where there is one view of a mostly static stage, the camera operator manages to move from not just person to person, but from room to room to car to outside to different buildings and a variety of vantage points. The endeavor would be challenging for any crew, but it’s unparalleled when one of the leads is a child actor in his screen debut. Owen Cooper, who was just 14 at the time of filming Adolescence, delivers a gripping, nuanced and emotional performance, worthy of any seasoned veteran. He and Graham provide the emotional crux on which Adolescence thrives. 

This show will challenge its viewers. It takes all four episodes of about an hour each, to tell its story, and in some ways it ends too soon. As Jamie is questioned, the viewer starts to ask themselves about why crimes like this occur. People have to question who has influence over children, how innocent they really are, and how much do we exist in the same world as them, yet in vastly different spaces. Any series centered on the murder of a young girl carries with it a darkness, but with that, Adolescence artfully delivers an unflinching look at what happens to the family of the accused and leaves audiences to draw conclusions on what should be done when this is the truth of society. 

Rachel’s Rating: 8.5/10

Across its four intense episodes, Adolescence (Netflix) follows a 13 year old accused of killing a female classmate. The series forces audiences to confront difficult questions about childhood, innocence, and the harsh realities that shape young lives.