Adolescence

As a passionate film nerd, I've always looked to films to inspire and amaze me with how they tell a story, utilizing technical aspects and strong performances. Television, however, always took the back seat because for some reason, it just never spoke to me the way films did. It wasn't until recently when a friend of mine berated me with suggestions for new shows that I really decided to start getting into the world of TV, but even then, I watched shows like Game of Thrones (2011—2019), which though amazing, still kinda took the backseat on my radar. But then I started watching Successio(2018—2023); obviously, it was two films—notably 2024's *The Apprentice and A Real Pain—that got me into the show, but as soon as I started watching, I was hooked. The 35mm film, the superb acting, the amazing score; these were all things that I watched films for, and yet, here I was, experiencing them in a series. So, when 2025's Adolescence* quickly climbed up the ranks of most popular titles on Letterboxd, I knew I had to check it out. This may be my favourite show of all time—mind you, I've only seen a handful of shows, but I know for sure that it's not leaving my top four anytime soon. There were so many fantastic aspects of this miniseries that I was afraid this review might break Letterboxd's word limit, however, after some cuts here and there, I think I've brought it to a readable length. Firstly, I want to talk about the cinematography of this series. It's hands down the best use of camera work I've ever seen done and easily tops films like *Dune: Part Two* (2024) in its innovation of the technique. For one, each episode is shot in entirely one take; this style of filmmaking is something that has never really been done before and allows for the most magnificent sequences. For example, in one scene in Episode 2, the camera follows DI Luke Bascombe, the central character of the episode, but then it abandons him as he walks out of frame; then, another character, Jade, walks into frame, and the camera now follows her. There are countless examples of this type of camera work that make this series not only impressive from a story, theme, and performance angle, but also from a technical angle. Honestly, like so many other titles, I'd love to go on about this aspect of the series and dissect it shot by shot, but at the end of the day, I want this to be a review and not turn into an analysis. Secondly, the performances in this film are simply stellar in every way possible. I know there are times when I say that everyone in a film gave a great performance, but whenever I see projects like these, I have to remind myself that while those films may be great, it's really titles like these to which that applies to. First off, Owen Cooper, the actor who plays the lead of this show is flabbergastingly magnificent as Jamie Miller. Episode 3 is where he truly shines, but even in the first episode, I knew he had talent. He managed to scare me, impress me, anger me, and even made me feel bad for him, all just through his transformative performance in becoming his character. If he doesn't win an Emmy for this role, I'll be rioting outside the theatre for sure, and you can quote me on that (don't actually). And moreover, to think that this is his first ever role is insane considering how fantastic he was not only as a child actor, but as an actor as a whole. There are grown men and women out there in the industry who couldn't give this performance for the life of them, and yet this fourteen year old kid has managed to deliver one of the best performances of the decade, forget year. Moreover, I was also deeply moved and blown away by Stephen Graham as a whole; obviously, his writing and reason to make this show is truly inspirational and exceptional, however, his performance, one that is subtle at first, and then dramatic by the end, is what really pushed me over the edge in the final episode and broke me in every way possible. I've read a lot of reviews saying he's one of the best working actors out there, and I wholeheartedly agree. Ashley Miller was another actor who really impressed me with his immersion into his role as DI Luke Bascombe and has solidified his reputation as a fantastic British talent in my eyes. Even though he was only in two episodes, each scene he was in felt powerful as he had a sense of purpose in his every line. Whatever he may be doing—talking with his son, chasing a kid across the street, or even just sitting in a car with his head down—he did as DI Luke Bascombe and nailed it in every way. Lastly, there are the other child actors; like I mentioned before, in this series every single cast member gives a powerful performance, and that includes the child actors. The best was obviously by Fatima Bojang as Jade, but Amélie Pease as Lisa Miller was amazing too, not to mention Kaine Davis as Ryan. There are so many more performances I'd love to highlight in this series, but this format sometimes limits it. One thing I would like to discuss though, was how the use of the cinematography influenced the performances. Because of the show's one-shot nature, it was almost like a play, and yet it didn't fall into the trap of films like *A Rainy Day in New York* (2019); instead, it incorporated dialogue and forced the actors to be fluent in not only their dialogues, but their characters as a whole. One small mistake could've ruined everything, and yet the actors utilized improv to make sure that this wasn't detectable in the slightest. It's honestly one of the most impressive forms of improv and acting as a whole I've seen in my whole life. Finally, there's the theme of the miniseries. I read a couple of reviews before sitting down to write my own, and something I noticed in a lot of the reviews was that people didn't seem to understand the message of this show. Many went in expecting your classic crime series, and walked out thinking it was trying to be that, when in reality, it was quite the opposite. Though I went in thinking this was just a really good crime thriller people liked, somewhere during Episode 2, I realised it was a social commentary on the growing pandemic of toxic masculinity. As a teenage boy myself, I can't say I haven't come face to face with people who fall into the category of 'incels' or Andrew Tate supporters, so I know of this rising problem, but to many who watched this show, they have no idea as to what is going on across the internet with the glorification of toxic masculinity. It's a rising problem all over the world that I haven't seen been addressed in any forms of media before, but Adolescence (2025) gives the best portrayal of it I think I'll ever see. It doesn't always say it bluntly, but makes the audience aware of the symptoms of this metaphorical disease infecting thousands of teenagers and pre teens across North America, Europe, and other parts of the world too. Moreover, by picking such a shocking yet true side of the pandemic, it creates a sense of urgency about the issue itself, and in a way says, "Look around, it's everywhere". This theme is something that I'm shocked hasn't been brought to light in media such as films or television considering its growth in the last couple of years, but all I'll say is that I hope many will truly understand the message behind it all and realise what's going on in their town, neighborhood, and even own house, and put an end to it once and for all—especially so the story of Adolescence doesn't keep coming true. I think it's amazing that my very first logged miniseries is the best one, and though there's so many more things I was itching to say, I know that I'll return back to this one day, and I have a feeling it'll still be just as spectacular, if not more. I'm also on *Serialized* for TV shows! I'm sorry, son. I should have done better. TV Shows Ranked **24 March 2025 chymp**