New Show Out and Popular!

Netflix’s recent limited series, Adolescence, released on March 13th. Following its release was an onslaught of views, with a record breaking 66.3 millions people watching it in its first two weeks of being released. Along with its large viewership, Adolescence managed to garner a score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.

            The show tells the story of 13 year old Jamie Miller after he is accused of murdering a female classmate of his. Many topics have been brought to light following the release of Adolescence, such as the manosphere which is an online collection of websites and blogs that promote misogyny and opposition to feminism. 

            The show also depicts the reality of online bullying, especially around the concept of an ‘incel’. The word, short for involuntary celibate, is a term used for an online subculture of men and boys who are defined as individuals who are unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one. This most often results in blame towards women and girls, as well as society, for their lack of romantic success.

            Andrew Tate, who is often credited for being a large influence on the manosphere, was also mentioned in the show. 

            “It’s the involuntary celibate stuff. It’s the Andrew Tate stuff,” one character says in the second episode.

            Tate has responded to being referenced in the show, saying the depiction of him was “neither fair nor accurate."

            Along with shedding light on online bullying, Adolescence also shows the realities of face-to-face bullying and how school systems deal with it.

            “It was so eye opening on how it happens so much in the UK and all around the world. It’s a show that I think is very important to be made as it highlights a very real issue of knife crime and bullying,” NHS junior, Faith Weir, said. 

            While the show mainly focuses on Jamie’s story, it does include smaller moments of what other characters are experiencing. For example, real life bullying is showcased through one character named Adam, and his experiences in school. Another character, Jade, demonstrates a story of struggle after she loses her best friend.

            The show's writers, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, said they began working on the project two years ago, when a string of boys stabbing girls to death piqued their interest. Thorne shared in an interview that he wanted people to do more than talk about the show, but rather he wants British lawmakers to pass a law banning social media to anyone under 16.

            “We set out to make a great drama because that’s our business, but if there’s a message to be told then drama is such a powerful tool to be able to get that across,” Director, Philip Barantini, said.

            Along with breaking records, Adolescence did something only few other films/shows have done, each episode was filmed in a single shot. Instead of cutting from scene to scene, each episode was filmed in one continuous shot. While this seems impossible, the show accomplished it through the use of drones and minimal special effects.

“Because when you're like cutting and stopping and stuff, you wouldn't get the full emotion," Owen Cooper, the actor for Jamie Miller, said.

The cast of the show consists of Stephen Graham who played Eddie Miller, Jamie Miller’s father, as well as Christine Tremarco who played Manda Miller, Jamie’s mother. The lead investigators, DI Bascombe and DS Frank were played by Ashley Walters and Faye Marsay. Erin Doherty portrayed Jamie Miller’s physiatrist, while Jamie Miller himself was played by Owen Cooper.

Adolescence was Owen Cooper’s first acting job.

“What I saw in Owen was the same kind of ability, the same kind of natural talent, and just a real presence ... He just blew my mind,” Stephen Graham said. 

If you haven’t already, consider giving it a watch on Netflix, to see all the hard work that went into the series, as well as the important message it produces.