Currently ranking in ninth place on the list of Netflix’s most popular English-language TV shows, Adolescence has had over 95 million viewers since its release on March 13, 2025. This UK series has captivated audiences with intense interrogation scenes and suspense throughout all four of the episodes. Laced with social commentary, the series was created in response to the increase in violent knife crime seen in the UK, in which victims are predominantly young females. It details experiences of male violence and explores how red pill content — influencers such as Andrew Tate, who tell men to be anti-feminist — are creating dangerous tendencies in young boys.
The first episode begins by introducing viewers to Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy who has been accused of murdering his classmate, Katie Leonard. Viewers follow Jamie as he goes through police interrogations and therapy sessions, and watch as his family (and especially his father) slowly falls apart throughout the process. As the series unfolds, we see more aspects of Jamie’s social life, namely through an analysis of his Instagram usage. Unlike lots of other media in this genre, Adolescence is unique because there is no mystery of who committed the crime. Instead, the mystery is to figure out why he did what he did.
Behind the Scenes of the Series
Starring in the series is Owen Cooper, who plays the main character, Jamie Miller. Cooper was only 14 when the show’s filming began, and, impressively, his role in Adolescence was his first acting gig ever. Alongside Cooper is English actor Stephen Graham, who plays Jamie’s father. Erin Doherty, who plays Princess Anne in Netflix’s The Crown, has been praised for her role as one of Jamie’s therapists. With several scenes in which Jamie’s character violently screams at her, the raw emotion that Doherty needed to exhibit was incredibly impressive.
Something that I found interesting about this series was how each episode was shot in one continuous take, with no cuts or blending of shots together. I felt that it gave the show a realness that is difficult to establish in other works. Viewers can feel as if they are sitting in the interrogation room or riding in the police car as they watch the show. Due to the difficulty of this film style, the production of each of these episodes took a significant amount of time. For example, they filmed 16 takes of the fourth episode before everything was finally right.
ADDRESSING Important Social Issues
With the popularity of creators like Andrew Tate, red pill content is becoming increasingly widespread among young men. More social media access has meant that children are consuming content that parents have no knowledge of, and lots of the content targeted at men in our society is laced with misogyny. “Incel” culture has become normalized, with men often objectifying and villainizing women for refusing to engage in romantic relationships with them. The idea that “women belong in the kitchen” or “real men don’t cry” are all things that stem from these beliefs and lead to violent and exploitative behaviors from men.
Adolescence explores these ideas, showing the impact that this can have on how young men perceive the women around them. I think that this series did a great job of showing how quickly male rage can turn into violence, and how harmful these gendered perceptions truly are. Jamie is purposely portrayed as “innocent” and “young” in many scenes, continuously told by the adults around him how intelligent he is. While these things can be true, it is also true that his mind had been filled with false ideas of male superiority, which caused him to act in a way so atypical of how he had been characterized. This series beautifully shows the complexities of a misogynistic mindset present in young men and is important for helping others recognize the signs of male anger before it is too late.
Final Thoughts
Viewers have flocked to social media to express their interest (or disinterest) in the series, which has created a huge discourse surrounding the show and the topics it covers. Some viewers have expressed disappointment in the “thrill” factor of the series, saying that it was boring to watch. I think that this account of the series is slightly misguided and largely ignores the point they wanted to convey. It is purposefully not a whodunit story, and the idea of it being “boring” is done to reflect how normalized these themes of male violence have become in our society.
I would urge everyone to use this show as an opportunity to see the dangers of unrestricted social media usage for children and how pervasive misogyny truly is. The violence and/or bullying seen in the show was easily avoidable and should serve as an important lesson for anyone who hopes to have kids one day. It is incredibly important that everyone stays educated, especially as we see an uptick in “red pill” content being spread online. So, head to Netflix and stream Adolescence today. I can (almost) guarantee you won’t be disappointed!