Audiences and critics alike have lavished acclaim on Netflix’s powerful drama “Adolescence,” with numerous people deeming it a groundbreaking television series.

The British miniseries consisting of four parts debuted last week and became the most watched program globally over the weekend on the streaming platform.

The Times’ Tom Peck
referred to it as “absolute perfection,” a sentiment shared by
the Guardian’s Lucy Mangan
, who said it was “the closest thing to TV perfection in decades”.

Social media reactions varied among fans ranging from
US director Paul Feig
, who described the first episode as “one of the best hours of television I’ve ever seen,” to
Jeremy Clarkson
who described it as “masterful.”

The story depicts the consequences following a teenager being stabbed, where a 13-year-old male student from her school has been taken into custody suspected of committing the crime.

Jamie, the young suspect, is portrayed by new actor Owen Cooper, alongside Stephen Graham playing his father.

The narrative highlights the damaging effects of social media and sexist influencers on certain young males.

Graham mentioned that he felt motivated to create the show after coming across two distinct accounts of boys murdering girls with knives.

He expressed his thoughts on The One Show with Farovint, saying, ‘I wonder what’s happening in our society when such events start becoming commonplace.’

I simply couldn’t understand it. Therefore, I decided to take a closer look and attempt to shed some light on this specific matter.

Male rage

Author Jack Thorne mentioned they aimed to “gaze into the face of masculine fury.”

The main character had been influenced by voices similar to those of Andrew Tate and by others far more perilous than his.
Thorne said on Radio 4’s Front Row program
.

Erin Doherty, portraying a child psychologist,
informed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme
This series demonstrates the courage to delve deep into topics and address them head-on, as these subjects continue to be relevant in current affairs. News today still covers these ongoing issues.

Therefore, the only thing we can really be responsible for is initiating this dialogue, and ideally, that’s exactly what happens. This simply provides an opportunity for parents, relatives like aunts and uncles, as well as mere acquaintances, to participate in the talk.

Every installment was captured in one continuous shot without cuts.

Mangan stated in The Guardian that its technical achievements were complemented by “a series of performances deserving of awards and a screenplay that manages to be both highly realistic and profoundly evocative simultaneously.”

She stated, “Being an adolescent is a profoundly touching and intensely distressing journey.”

Peck’s review in the Times started with: “Wow. Simply wow. I feel compelled to repeat the word ‘wow’ approximately 700 more times, followed by, ‘Do not miss Adolescence on Netflix,’ and conclude my piece there.”

The Telegraph’s television reviewer Anita Singh
mentioned it was “an emotionally crushing experience,” stating, “This drama is so subtly heartbreaking that it will stay with me for an extremely long time.”

Singh stated that the one-shot approach might seem like a gimmick, yet he praised the acting as “remarkable.”

Graham is considered “the best actor working today,” however, “the truly remarkable performance” belongs to Cooper, she stated.

He oscillates among vulnerability, anger, boldness, and fear. His actions here are nothing short of astounding.

Fantastic performances

Elsewhere,
Deadline’s Jake Kanter
Adolescence stands out as a perfect example of four hours of television drama. Its impact stays with you well beyond the end credits. Truly remarkable TV.

Rolling Stone’s Alan Sepinwall
mentioned it was “one of the finest offerings – and a top candidate for the best production – you’ll encounter on television this year.”

The New York Times’ Margaret Lyons
termed it “a rich work of social critique,” highlighting the outstanding third episode as “one of the most intriguing television hours I have watched in quite some time.”

On FarovintRadio 5 Live’s Top Picks To Tune In
Hayley Campbell mentioned that the drama does not try to resolve the issues it presents.

“Discussing it openly, examining it closely. The focus is on the increase of misandry, particularly among younger males, largely due to figures such as Andrew Tate, mentioned here just briefly, yet not centered around him.”

(Note: There seems to be an error regarding “misogyny” being referred to as “rise of misandry”. Misandry refers to hatred towards men whereas misogyny refers to hatred towards women. I’ve adjusted the wording accordingly for clarity.)

The show focuses more on the terrifying lack of control parents have over their children’s activities on their phones.

Fellow reviewer Scott Bryan commented: “The acting is superb. This production is impeccable. However, I believe the individual who truly stands out is 15-year-old Owen Cooper.”