Adolescence - Netflix One-Shot Wonder, Full TV Show Review

Adolescence is a four episode limited series that’s just hit Netflix and wow, what a surprise it was. It’s written by (and stars) Stephen Graham who’s been in Peaky Blinders, A Christmas Carol and Rocketman just to name a few. The story follows a thirteen-year old boy who is accused of murder, as we find out what really happened and the effects on friends, family and the neighbourhood.

I’m usually one to watch the latest releases on Netflix and this time it was no different. There wasn’t much promotion for this show apart from the title card that ran in the background on the homepage to say it was coming soon. The photograph of the main image for the show was chilling and definitely eye-catching. But what really made me decide to watch it on the day of release was that it was a “one-shot” production. Each episode is filmed in one continuous shots. No cuts. No movie magic. Just an incredible team, and a whole lot of preparation.

The most recent example I can think of for a one-shot episode was in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. A lot of people spoke about the singular shot episode and how impactful it was. But to have a whole show like Adolescence be one-shot seemed a little far-fetched. Was it a gimmick to get people watching? Would it be done in post-production? The answer to both of those questions is no.

There are four episodes in Adolescence. Episode One is The Arrest. Episode Two is The School. Episode Three is The Boy. Finally, Episode Four is The Family. Each of these episodes is filmed in one singular take. But the most incredible thing is how impactful that filming choice is in telling the story and making you feel as a viewer.

I’ll try to keep this adolescence review as spoiler free as possible, as I think it is important story to experience for yourself. But it has an important message for many of us. There will probably be minor spoilers here and there so if you want to be safe, go and watch it then come back here. If you’ve already watched it and are reading this to unpack, then welcome!

Episode one starts off quietly. In fact, I zoned out and carried on watching a project until there was a lot of shouting. I didn’t even notice it was one-shot at this point as the location has changed so drastically within a few seconds, I decided to restart the episode. The camera work to go from a police car on the side of a road, into the accused boy’s bedroom was phenomenally done. The acting of the entire cast at that point is flawless.

What struck me most about this episode, was the gravity of the situation. We are experiencing in almost realtime what it means to be accused as a child or have your child be accused of murder, and how terrifying it is. The slow instructions and procedures in the police station feel you with dread and anticipation. You just can’t wait to know what happens next, but at the same time, it’s scary.

The ending of that episode is something else. The police interview is intimidating and feels very, very real. Ashley Walters and Faye Marsay who play the detectives, do a brilliant job of guiding the interview in a way that feels both real and unexpected.

Episode Two is filmed in a school. We learn a lot more about the truth of the story in this episode, but what amazed me was how many characters were followed in this episode. It was brilliantly executed for one-shot. Some of the crew were also dressed as teachers so that they could be on their mark without disrupting the shot.

Episode Three is harrowing. It is a simplistic episode compared to the previous one, and revolves around the accused, Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper) during a session with an independent psychologist Briony Ariston (played by Erin Doherty). It’s an intense episode that is pretty much the climax of the series and sheds a whole new light on the story.

The fourth and final episode focuses on Jamie’s family and how they deal with the aftermath of their son/brother being accused of murder. How society perceives them and how they can move forward with their life while there is an ongoing investigation/hearing.

Between each episode is a time jump, none of which are so clearly explained but each episode captures you to be fully present in the situation. It tells a story perfectly and forces you to sit with many uncomfortable thoughts and emotions.

Honestly, this show is a piece of cinematic history. It was so beautifully done and is so relevant to what we are experiencing now. There are children harming other children. There is a rise in crime. It can happen to anybody and there are a lot of things at play that we don’t see or understand. I hope that this resonates with many people and I also hope that it can save lives in the future. Only by addressing the hard topics, can we hope to overcome them. Shying away from the ugly truth never helped anybody.

What did you think? Did you enjoy the show? Did you notice it was all done in one shot? And most importantly, how did it leave you feeling? The whole team accomplished something incredibly powerful that will hopefully be talked about for a long time both as a social commentary but also as a TV show.