As I write this, it is just about April 2025 and so far, Adolescence is the best TV show that I have seen this year. It is only four episodes long, so it is more of a mini-series than a TV show, but what a mesmerizing ride this was. I ended up watching all four episodes in one evening as I had to know what was going to happen next.
How to Download Adolescence
Adolescence was released on 13 March 2025 on Netflix. You can download or stream all the episodes. Click on the Download button at the end of this review.
The Movie Review
I saw this a little after it released on Netflix and I had heard all of the hype around it. I will be honest, I thought that there was no way this was as good as people were saying, but I am happy to say I was wrong. Right from the first episode, this show grabs you and it just keeps all of your attention on the screen. This is 100 percent the kind of show where you cannot be screwing around on your phone while you are watching it.
The Explosive Opening Scene
The show starts at 100mph, we are introduced to two detectives as they lead a raid/arrest on the Miller family, where they bust into their house with guns and tell the family to get down on the floor! This opening scene is just so well done and it feels very real and like you are there as this is all going down.
A Teen Accused: The Shocking Premise
Turns out that they are there for their 13-year-old son, Jamie Miller and he is being accused of murder! The premise of Adolescence is not that we are trying to figure out IF Jamie did it, we find out that he in fact did do it, pretty much right from the start. The show is more about the fallout of this. From the detectives trying to build an air tight case, the Miller family dealing with this as well as the students at school.
Layers of Storytelling and Character Depth
There are so many layers to this story that it is honestly impossible for me to do it justice in a short review. For me, episodes 2 and 3 were the best. In episode two, the two detectives head to the school to try and talk to students to help build the case. This is one of the most realistic ways a British school has been shown in a TV show and I know because I worked in a school here in the UK.
Episode 3 Highlights Owen Cooper’s Brilliance
The third episode is where you truly get to see what an incredible actor young Owen Cooper is. The majority of this episode is Jamie talking with a psychologist, this is one of those episodes where you are just fixated on the scene the whole time. I truly cannot praise the acting of this young guy highly enough. The whole cast did a great job here, I loved Ashley Walters as the lead inspector and I thought that Stephen Graham (also one of the show’s creators) was amazing as the devastated dad of Jamie.
One-Shot Cinematography That Immerses You
While Adolescence tells a fantastic and gripping story, it is also shot is a very unique way. The scenes are all done in one shot, for example, you will be on a pair of characters talking, then another character will walk into the frame and the camera will then follow them. It is a very unique way to shoot a TV show and it helped make you feel like you were there.
Watch All Four Episodes in One Sitting
There is no other way to describe Adolescence than by saying that it is a must watch show. I would recommend you start watching it earlier in the evening as chances are you will want to watch all four episodes in one sitting. This is one of the best Netflix TV series that I have seen in quite some time.
Netflix
