Audiences and reviewers have lavished acclaim on Netflix's compelling drama "Adolescence," with numerous people deeming it a pivotal television series.
The four-episode UK series debuted last week and became the most-viewed program globally on the streaming service over the weekend.
The Times' Tom Peck referred to it as "absolute perfection," a sentiment shared by the Guardian's Lucy Mangan , who stated it was "the nearest approach to television perfection in decades"?
Social media reactions varied among fans ranging from US director Paul Feig , who described the first episode as "one of the best hours of television I've ever seen," to Jeremy Clarkson who described it as "masterful."
The story depicts the consequences following a teenager being stabbed, where a 13-year-old male student from her school has been taken into custody accused of committing the crime.
Jamie, the youthful suspect, is portrayed by new actor Owen Cooper, alongside Stephen Graham who plays his father.
The narrative highlights the damaging effects of social media and sexist influencers on certain young males.
Graham mentioned that he felt motivated to create the show after coming across two distinct accounts of boys murdering girls with knives.
“I simply wondered, what’s happening in our society when such events are turning into routine occurrences?” he shared with The One Show.
I simply couldn’t comprehend it. Therefore, I decided to take a closer look and attempt to shed some light on this specific matter.
Male rage
Author Jack Thorne mentioned they aimed to "gaze into the face of masculine fury."
The main character had been influenced by voices similar to those of Andrew Tate and by others far more perilous than his. Thorne said on Radio 4's Front Row program .
Erin Doherty, portraying a child psychologist, spoke with BBC Radio 4's Today programme This series demonstrates the courage to delve deep into topics and address them head-on, as these subjects remain relevant and continue to surface in current news.
Therefore, the only thing we can really be responsible for is initiating this dialogue, and ideally that’s exactly what happens. This simply gives parents, aunties, uncles, or even just friends, an opportunity to participate in the talk.
Every episode was captured in one continuous shot without cuts.
Mangan stated in The Guardian that its technical achievements "are complemented by a series of performances worthy of awards and a screenplay that simultaneously manages to feel deeply realistic and profoundly atmospheric."
She stated, "Being an adolescent is a profoundly touching yet intensely distressing journey."
Peck’s review in the Times started with: "Wow. Simply wow. I feel compelled to write ‘wow’ another 700 times or so, followed by, ‘Do not miss Adolescence on Netflix,’ and leave it at that."
The Telegraph’s television critic Anita Singh mentioned it was "an emotionally crushing experience," also stating, "This drama is so subtly heartbreaking that I will not easily forget it for a long time."
Singh stated that the one-shot approach might seem like a trick, yet he praised the acting as "remarkable."
Graham is considered "the best actor working today," however, "the truly remarkable performance" belongs to Cooper, as per her observation.
He transitions among vulnerability, anger, boldness, and fear. His actions here are astounding.
Fantastic performances
Elsewhere, Deadline's Jake Kanter Adolescence stands out as a perfect example of four hours of television drama. Its impact stays with you well beyond the end credits. Truly remarkable TV.
Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall mentioned it was "one of the finest offerings - and a strong candidate for the top spot - you'll encounter on television this year."
The New York Times' Margaret Lyons termed it "a rich work of social critique," highlighting the standout episode, which is the third, as "one of the most intriguing television hours I have watched in quite some time."
On BBC Radio 5 Live's Must Watch Hayley Campbell noted that the drama does not try to resolve the issues it brings up.
Raising the issue, examining it — this focuses on the increase of misandry, particularly among younger males, largely due to figures such as Andrew Tate, mentioned here just briefly. However, the discussion isn’t centered around him.
"The drama is more about the horror of how little control you have over your kid and what they're doing on their phone."
Fellow reviewer Scott Bryan commented: "The acting is superb. This production is without flaws. However, the individual who truly stands out is 15-year-old Owen Cooper."