Impressive in so many respects, and obviously first because Cooper has no previous experience and because the scenes really were filmed as single takes. Compared to THE BEAST, hard to avoid the conclusion that, while Bonello has, in a way, “higher” artistic aims, the treatment of similar psycho-social-sexual themes is here far more convincing. Final episode drifts into melodrama for the sake of acting pyrotechnics rather than pushing the insights much deeper but the overall impact is undeniable.

overly dramatic and pure gimmick, not a whole lot more

While the series offers some good insight into child psychology, with its ups and downs and raw imperfections, as well as generational divides, parents' questioning of the end result etc. quite good I hate productions that emotionally exploit their audience, and this one does exactly that—targeting families with children, a major Netflix demographic.

Superb, particularly the brilliantly written third episode in which Dohery and Cooper turn in astoundingly good performances. Those who would like to watch something similar to the fourth episode should check out 'Mass'.

It had neither a mystery nor a very strong story; it was just a deep drama.

Great stuff. The one-take approach works the best in the first episode, and the least in the second episode, which features a lot of disinterested walking as well as the worst chase scene since Leia tried to escape mercenaries in "Obi-Wan Kenobi". But the acting is top notch and the fourth episode brings the hurt.

Showing in quite a realistic way the symptoms of a combination of the proletarianisation of parenting and education and the de-socialising (and anti-socialising) tendency of the social media milieu. The one-shot filming technique is most effective in the third episode with Owen Cooper's fantastic performance.

This one's gonna stay with me for a while.

Excellent stuff, particularly the odd numbered episodes that the kid gets to act in.

Incredibly overhyped (and often misunderstood) by the media, the first episode drew me in but the other three were pretty pointless. The single-shot style works for that one too but otherwise is just a gimmick. The story lacks focus and while it’s gritty it doesn’t often feel ‘real’ - Graham’s always good to watch but many of the other characters and dialogue just don’t ring true. I prefer plot-focused stories, not a big budget mini soap opera of endless gloom.

Very impressive acting and direction, but the fourth episode gets a bit PSAey as well as too showman-like.

Good, distinguished by some excellent acting from Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham. And Erin Doherty has a fine turn as the psychologist in episode 3.

The last two episodes were pretty unnecessary.

13-year old Jamie has grown into a hardened and skilled sociopath at Sopranoslevel. Where did he exercise the powerful, high-level manipulative moves that shine convincingly in the 3d episode (and in the murder)? One can't learn this from a desktopchair by reading about incels and scrolling Insta - so how, then? Besides this problematic and unsolved take on development, I have buckets of praise for this show, especially for the acting, directing and the delightful restrained soundtrack.

Superficially looks realistic, but isn't really. The silly raid scene at the very beginning kind of jumps the gun on the sensationalism you see much more of later on. Some of it holds its head above water in playing procedural, though police reviewers dispute its depiction of policework. Much of the dialogue does show polish. Other times it's workmanlike but transparently contrived, belaboring its points.

Gutting, gripping, and painfully authentic. This dramatic miniseries contains some of the most emotionally potent acting and writing ever to grace the small screen. The themes are almost too numerous to count: social media culture, bullying, masculinity, fatherhood, parenting, family, anger, helplessness, and of course, adolescence. Over four 50ish minute installments they are explored honestly and thoroughly, leaving much to value and consider. Owen Cooper is a star in the making.

E1: The interrogation technique in the series is absolutely shocking and the story is not logical. A murder happens at 1015pm. The next morning they have CCTV and all the evidence allready? You point a weapon at a 13 yr old and then conduct a rapid-fire interrogation, trying to put words in his mouth and pressure him into a confession... This is exactly how miscarriages of justice happen. E3: And then put him in a mental hospital before trial to be reviewed by a seemingly unstable psychologist.

This one was a heart-wrenchingly beautiful. There was no visual explicit and gory scenes but the story was done so beautifully that it evoked emotions. The influence of media, misinformation, and far-right propaganda on teenagers and also bullying among them, the consequences of these things and the resulting after-effects of them on parents and society. It was perfectly scripted, acted, choreographed, filmed and edited.

Wow. Intense. Owen Cooper/Jamie was outstanding. This kid has a great acting future ahead of him.

Basically flawless

As a father, I don’t know that another show or movie has had a greater emotional impact on me. It all feels so real with the continuous take and incredible acting. The final scene completely broke me.

2 bons eps, 2 não tanto

Shockingly incredible acting all around, and complex dynamic camera movement keeps you anchored deeply in the heavy emotions portrayed throughout.

Devastating.

Technical tour de force with a genuinely important message (talk to your kids; don't let anyone fall down the manosphere rabbit hole). Thoroughly unenjoyable to watch, though.

Technically impressive, with equally impressive acting, I felt like it should have been 6 episodes because I couldn't connect the dots emotionally. We never see them together as a family, which leaves the whole execution a bit cold. Also, the last episode ended on a somewhat melodramatic note. It's still a worthy effort, just a shame that it didn't accomplish more.

Hit/miss. Thoroughly enjoyed the finale, hated the psych character.

Just because Stephen Graham had too much fun doing a one shot in Boiling Point doesn't mean he gets to do all other movies the same way, right? Right?!

I’ve been to Doncaster.

The focus on the effects and the fallout rather than the action itselt is what makes this good. Really liked episode 3 and ended up watching the whole series in one night. The last scene in episode 4 too hit me emotionally and was a depressing but well written sequence to round off a very good series.

Adolescent offers a raw, layered look at growing up, exploring identity, pressure, and the struggle for self-definition. It captures how social roles, expectations, and peer dynamics shape teens psychologically and emotionally. There's a lot beneath the surface. Moments of silence, tension, and confusion that feel real. Not perfect, but deeply reflective and worth the watch.

S1: 90/100

Landmark TV. The kind of thing that shift public opinion...my teacher friend found the second episode difficult to watch as the portrayal of schools was so on the nose (favourite character: Mrs. Lowerschool). Third episode is incredible! Last episode had too much naked PSA moralising, but they get a pass as the whole thing imperfectly powerful.

maybe i'm going to piss off some priests but aren't teenage boys the worst

This is, from a technical perspective, extremely good—one might even go so far as to call it brilliant. The performances are similarly stunning. So,why didn't I give it full marks? For all its positives, Adolescence is extraordinarily ham-fisted. I really wish the same amount of attention was paid to the writing as to the other aspects of this drama, especially considering it deals with such sensitive issues.

Difficult subject matter with good writing and incredible acting make this an intense watch. Owen Cooper succeeds in evoking such a range of conflicting emotions in the viewer. The other cast are great as well. And there's no need to repeat the technical merits.

an absolute must for all filmmakers because each episode was shot in one shot and each episode lasts up to 40 to 50 minutes and a series shot in one shot every 40 to 50 minutes is an absolute must. very intelligently shot purely for technical reasons and of course the series also shines with its story.

Petty fantastic short series focusing on a 13 year old accused of murder. At first glance, it almost seems like you are being pushed into a more artistic than average brit police procedural, but in reality its almost like little play-like vignettes. Long takes dealing with a specific aspect of how we got to where we are, and where we might be going. Fantastic cast all around. Its not perfect, but it definitely exceeds in its attempts to be something a little smarter.

The technical heights reached doesn’t need commenting on, extremely good. The acting is superb as well. First two episodes left me speechless. But after that it started dragging a bit. They had to drag it just because the single gimmick. It made sense in most scenes but for example the school episode held no tention to need a single take. And that detracts from the overall quality.

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Obviously written with a broad audience in mind so the amount of exposition in the script can be wearing at times but otherwise very well made.

Did it feel a bit gimmicky at times? Was it slightly uneven at certain spots? Yeah. But it was mostly brilliant, and especially considering the episodes were one-shots, some of the performances were just out of this world.

My ★★★★ review of Adolescence on Letterboxd https://boxd.it/9dtWhB

A generation raised by the algorithm, captured in a single unbroken shot

Great acting and really immersive continuous shots, although the format does feel like it limits the storytelling and pacing at times, especially in episodes 2 and 4. I appreciated the more serious examination it took of toxic masculinity present in young men these days, as amusing as the more comedic approach of recent media has been.

4 bölüm izledim. 1 ve 3. bölümler daha ilgi çekiciydi.

The kid is an amazing actor - he shows his skills in Episode 3

Cut to the heart. Deep, emotional and perfectly done.

It's full of good actors, including the main character, a 13-year-old boy. Well-done direction and script. Unusual shooting with a single camera runs the entire episode without editing. The last chapter was unnecessarily extended.