Adolescence (2025)

Release Date: March 13, 2025
Creators: Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham
Director: Philip Barantini
Starring: Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Owen Cooper, Christine Tremarco, Faye Marsay

A Sunday Night, A Beer, and One Hell of a Ride

So there I was. Sunday night, nothing to do, beer in hand, scrolling through Netflix like a lost soul looking for purpose. And boom—Adolescence was sitting pretty at #1, trending like crazy. Now, I’d heard some talk about it. Apparently, it was shot in one take (or so the rumor goes), and it had Ashley Walters from Top Boy playing a detective. I thought, "One minute you're running Summerhouse, the next you’re leading a murder investigation? That’s range."

I hit play. First scene: police bust into a house and arrest a 13-year-old boy for murder. Okay. I’m in.

The Premise: A Family in Freefall

The show wastes no time. The central story follows Jamie Miller (played by newcomer Owen Cooper), a seemingly normal kid who gets arrested for stabbing his classmate to death. His parents, Eddie (Stephen Graham) and Manda (Christine Tremarco), are blindsided. Their world collapses in an instant, and suddenly, they’re not just a working-class family trying to get by—they're that family. The one everyone whispers about.

What follows is an intense, emotional, and at times, excruciating look at what happens when a kid commits an unthinkable crime. The show doesn’t just focus on Jamie; it pulls the camera back and examines the wider impact—the parents, the victim’s family, the community, and even the cops handling the case.

And speaking of cops…

Ashley Walters: From Drug Dealer to Detective

Ashley Walters plays DI Luke Bascombe, the lead detective on the case. Now, if you’ve watched Top Boy, you know him as Dushane—smooth, calculated, always a step ahead. Here? He’s wearing a badge and trying to piece together a senseless crime. And you know what? He kills it.

Bascombe isn’t your typical TV detective—he’s not some tortured genius or rule-breaking lone wolf. He’s just a guy trying to navigate the mess of youth violence, systemic failures, and grief-stricken families. Walters plays him with a quiet intensity, balancing professionalism with an underlying frustration at how young kids keep slipping through the cracks.

Stephen Graham: The Man Who Can Do No Wrong

Stephen Graham. Do I even need to say anything? The man is incapable of a bad performance. Here, he plays Eddie Miller, Jamie’s dad—a regular guy who suddenly finds himself the father of a killer. Watching Graham process this slow-motion disaster is devastating.

He swings between disbelief, denial, anger, and guilt so naturally that you feel like you’re intruding on something too real. And that Scouse accent? Chef’s kiss. There’s a scene where he’s sitting alone in the family’s living room, staring at Jamie’s baby pictures on the wall, and man… just give the guy his BAFTA already.

One-Take Wonder?

Alright, let’s talk about the big rumor—was this actually filmed in one take? Well, yes and no. Director Philip Barantini (Boiling Point) is known for his long, unbroken shots, and while Adolescence isn’t literally a single take, each episode is designed to feel like one. The camera follows characters seamlessly, never cutting away, making it feel like you’re trapped in the moment with them.

This style adds a layer of urgency—there’s no escape, no breather. You’re just there, watching lives fall apart in real time.

The Message: Why This Show Hits Hard

Adolescence isn’t just about one crime; it’s about why these crimes happen. The show dives into the rise of knife crime among young people, touching on toxic masculinity, peer pressure, and the failure of both parents and institutions to intervene before it’s too late.

Jamie isn’t portrayed as a monster. He’s not a psychopath, not some cold-blooded killer. He’s just a kid. A kid who made a terrible choice. And that’s what makes it terrifying.

The show also does something I wasn’t expecting—it humanizes the victim’s family just as much as Jamie’s. You feel the grief of the parents who lost their child, the rage, the unanswered questions. How does a 13-year-old become a murderer?Who failed him? Could it have been stopped?

These aren’t easy questions, and Adolescence doesn’t pretend to have easy answers.

Supporting Cast: The Unsung Heroes

Christine Tremarco as Manda Miller is phenomenal. The way she portrays a mother who refuses to accept what’s happening while still trying to hold her family together? Heartbreaking.

Faye Marsay plays DS Misha Frank, the other detective on the case. She’s the more emotionally invested of the two cops, often clashing with Bascombe over whether they should see Jamie as just another statistic or as a scared kid who needs help. Her performance adds another layer to the show's moral complexity.

And then there’s Owen Cooper. This kid is going places. As Jamie, he has to walk a fine line—he can’t be too cold or too innocent. He nails it. His performance lingers in that space where you don’t know whether to pity him or be horrified by him.

The Verdict: A Brutal, Beautiful Must-Watch

Look, I’m not gonna lie—this show isn’t an easy watch. It’s heavy, it’s stressful, and it doesn’t wrap things up in a neat little bow. But that’s the point.

Does it have flaws? A few. The pacing can be a bit relentless, and if you’re looking for action-packed crime drama, this isn’t it. But if you want a show that feels real—that makes you think, that sticks with you—then Adolescence is a must-watch.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Would I watch it again? Not anytime soon—it’s too intense for that. But I will be keeping an eye on Owen Cooper’s career, because this kid just put himself on the map.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8/10

Until next time—may your Netflix recommendations be fire, your Sunday nights be eventful, and your beer always be cold.