Netflix announced Thursday the release of its new four-part British crime drama Adolescence, which has quickly become the platform’s most talked-about limited series of the year. The show has captured critical acclaim for its innovative single-take filming technique and powerful performances.
The series has catapulted to the #1 position on Netflix in the US, generating the kind of viewer enthusiasm typically reserved for acclaimed shows like Severance and Paradise.
“1 set. 2 main actors. No cgi, no fancy music score, no fancy camera cuts. Just brillliant screenwriting and astonishing acting skills,” wrote one viewer on Threads. Another added: “Almost every single post I’ve seen across my social media platforms is about [Adolescence]. Believe the hype. THE most important drama for decades.”
Adolescence follows the harrowing story of Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of his classmate, Katie Leonard. The narrative meticulously examines the events preceding the crime, the investigation process, and its impact on Jamie’s family and community.
The series addresses pressing social issues including knife crime, toxic masculinity, and online radicalization of youth.
“One of our aims was to ask, ‘What is happening to our young men these days, and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet, and from social media?'” said Stephen Graham in a promotional interview. “And the pressures that come from all of those things are as difficult for kids here as they are the world over.”
What distinguishes Adolescence is its ambitious production technique — each episode is filmed in a single continuous take.
“Basically that means we press record on the camera, and we don’t press stop until the very end of the hour,” director Phillip Barantini told Netflix. “But it’s much more complicated than it sounds. It takes months of preparation and weeks of rehearsals and an incredible team of people to pull it off at every stage, from the script to the locations to the production design to where exactly the camera is going to be able to shoot and from what angle.”
Cast
The limited series features a standout ensemble:
- Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller: Co-creator of the series, Graham portrays Jamie’s father, navigating unimaginable family circumstances
- Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller: Making his debut role, Cooper delivers a nuanced performance as the troubled teenager
- Ashley Walters as DI Luke Bascombe: Walters (Top Boy) plays the detective leading the investigation
- Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston: Doherty (The Crown) appears as the psychologist evaluating Jamie
Unlike several recent high-profile Netflix disappointments — including the Russo brothers’ The Electric State — Adolescence has broken through with audiences who are actively recommending the series to others.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series maintains a perfect 100% critics’ score. The Guardian called it “the closest thing to TV perfection in decades,” highlighting its emotional depth and social relevance.
The series has sparked substantial conversation about youth violence and its contributing factors, encouraging viewers to reflect on these real-world issues.
One viewer on X commented: “i just finished adolescence on netflix and fucking hell. everyone on that show needs an emmy, how could they manage to act out a storyline like that all in one continuous shot it’s insane. episodes 3 and 4 might be some of the best tv i’ve ever seen.”
