THE STORY – When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, therapist and the detective in charge are all left asking what really happened.
THE CAST – Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, Owen Cooper, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, Mark Stanley, Jo Hartley & Amélie Pease
THE TEAM – Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham (Creators/Writers) & Philip Barantini (Director)
It’s easy to see how a series like “Adolescence” has taken the world by storm within the past few weeks since its release. The four-episode crime thriller has steadily climbed the charts on Netflix, making it one of the most buzzed-about series currently on television. It is also helpful that Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne’s passion project is one of the best pieces of television to come out this decade. Many will be shocked going into “Adolescence,” thinking it’s akin to many other formulaic true crime programs in the shuffle of a streaming service’s algorithm. Yet, it’s an emotionally visceral experience that is masterfully crafted and will most certainly stick with you far after the credits stop rolling.
Within the first few moments of episode one of “Adolescence,” viewers are placed in the squad car with two police officers, DI Luke Bascombe (played by Ashley Winters) and DS Marsha Frank (played by Faye Marsay), leading the charge into the residence of the Miller family. Eddie Miller (played by Stephen Graham), his wife Manda (Christine Tremarco), and his daughter Lisa (Amélie Pease) are frozen in fear as police place thirteen-year-old Jamie (played by Owen Cooper) under arrest for the murder of a young girl he goes to school with.
What proceeds isn’t a whodunnit mystery that keeps audiences guessing until the end. Graham, who also serves as the series creator, has been very open about classifying “Adolescence” as a “whydunnit.” Quickly, we learn Jamie is more than culpable for the murder that sets the series’s events into motion. The rest that follows showcases Graham and co-creator Thorne’s disinterest in the banalities of true-crime storytelling, which has become sensationalized within the past few decades. Instead, the creative duo is far more compelled to explore the grief brought upon those involved directly or indirectly by this terrible tragedy. It’s a horror story because this is every parent’s worst nightmare coming to life. It’s also a series not afraid to dive deep into how the Andrew Tate brand of red-pill toxicity that has plagued the internet can dangerously influence those exposed to it, especially young boys.
While “Adolescence” is exceptionally written, the writing by Graham and Thorne is also fascinating in terms of how they structure the series itself. Each episode plays with perspective as characters rotate in and out regarding the episode’s focus. For example, we’ll see an episode following DI Bascomb and his partner as they continue their investigation, but this time primarily set on the school campus where Jamie attended. Yet, a majority of characters from the first episode, including Jamie, are absent. Graham and Thorne’s ability to have the presence of every character feel thoroughly ingrained in every episode, whether they’re featured in it or not, speaks to the command they have in their ability to tell this story. There’s even an episode that strips away the series’ sense of its cinematically grand aesthetic to create a harrowing bubble episode of a psychological evaluation that will gradually induce a relentlessly spine-chilling level of uneasiness.
What aids the terrific teleplays is the technical prowess of Phillip Barantini’s direction, lending itself to creating an overtly picturesque nature that is entirely grounded in the series. Each of the four episodes is shot in one continuous take from the moment the episode begins until the end credits. No hidden cuts or digital trickery of any sort are applied whatsoever. A far less competent filmmaker would’ve watered down the work of Matthew Lewis’s cinematography, which helps give the series a propulsive nature even in its most intimate moments. It’s breathtaking how they are able to accomplish a multitude of these setups, which, while most likely grueling on the crew, paid off dividends as viewers can’t help but be completely immersed in what’s unfolding in front of them, even if it’s just a simple conversation.
Graham, in my opinion, is one of the most undervalued and accomplished working character actors today. So not only is what he is doing behind the camera brilliant, but also what he achieves in front of it as well, providing him with a career highlight. Graham’s performance in “Adolescence” will quickly be noted as one of the defining roles of his career, alongside the work he did with director Barantini on the one-take film “Boiling Point.” An actor in a similar vein to Bob Hoskins, his ability to tap into a hot-blooded ferocity that is only stripped away by a searing sensitivity continues to break your heart at every turn.
This is why it’s also impressive that Cooper might be the better performer in the series as he’s delivering one of the greatest performances from a young actor in the last twenty years, maybe even ever. If this statement comes off as slightly hyperbolic, it’s only fueled by the fact that this is Cooper’s first time in front of a camera. His performance here is revelatory, fully embodying the fear of a young child thrust into a traumatic situation while also displaying a boy whose innocence is slowly shed right before our very eyes– a victim himself in a harmful rabbit hole that brings you nowhere but down.
The entire ensemble delivers phenomenal dramatic performances, specifically Tremarco, who soars in the series finale. While used sparingly, everyone still gets a chance to shine, especially a one-episode masterclass performance from Erin Doherty (of “The Crown” fame) in episode 3, who will surely leave a lasting impression on whoever watches the show with her controlled performance that creates dynamic magic opposite Cooper.
It’s terrifying that we as a society are still unprepared for the effects the current era of social media has brought upon our youth. Whose responsibility does this lie upon? Are the parents as responsible for not stopping their children from being exposed to this type of harmful influence as those who create the content themselves? “Adolensce” is only a slight glimpse into the purview misogynistic fueled content can have on our society, let alone those far more impressionable. It’s frightening to ruminate on, but what makes this series such a lasting stamp on our current culture is not only how it is relevant now but, unfortunately, for the unforeseen future.
THE GOOD – A masterfully crafted series in all aspects, from its spellbinding direction, excellent writing, and the sensational array of performances that combine to form one of the better television ensembles in recent memory. A bleak look yet an important introspective into how today’s youth are slowly being corrupted.
THE BAD – None
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series & Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Anthology Series or Movie
THE FINAL SCORE – 10/10
