ADOLESCENCE
Starring: Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Christine Tremarco, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Amelie Pease, Erin Doherty, and Mark Stanley
Creators: Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham
PAIGE
Adolescence is a brilliant, slow-building miniseries with each episode astonishingly shot in one continuous take. The character-driven, cautionary drama has such a raw and unnerving quality that will cause you to self-reflect and ponder on today's adolescent culture, particularly the impact of toxic masculinity that the internet has on young men. Its dialogue is extremely powerful, allowing each moment to linger, and all of the performances are phenomenal, particularly an extraordinary Stephen Graham. I’m telling you, this Netflix series will stick with you long after it’s over.
KATIE
Adolescence is the first piece of media I’ve seen that accurately highlights the insidious nature of online far-right pipelines and incel culture, showing how social media exposes vulnerable children to these dangerously toxic ideals. It’s incredibly impactful and timely, drawing on horrific real-life events that seem to be happening all across the UK at the moment; an epidemic of young men and boys enacting extreme violence against young women and girls. The naturalistic dialogue, gut-wrenching performances, and seamless single-shot style simmer with rising tension, creating a sense of urgency that implores society to finally take misogynistic violence and its causes seriously.
ROBERT
As a parent, there is no piece of media I have seen that has frightened me more than Adolescence, and that is why it should be well regarded. This limited series put into perspective the real fear of how online presence can be pushed, with little to no effort, from something innocuous to something rife with virulence. The mystery is centered around motive more than “whodunit”, and the stylistic camera shots, pacing, and drama are all so revolutionary that I’m surprised I haven’t seen anything like this in a previous show. I was riveted and heartbroken from the jump.
