--- title: "Adolescence" year: 2025 kind: "series" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/adolescence" fi1m_id: "adolescence" imdb_id: "tt31806037" tmdb_id: 249042 wikidata_id: "Q127774333" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 89 critics_reviews: 14 published: "2026-09-12" updated: "2026-09-12T20:09:50.177194+00:00" region: "ZA" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Adolescence (2025) Created by Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne · FPB 16 · Drama, Crime ## Identity Adolescence - **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/adolescence - **Type:** Series - **Fi1m ID:** adolescence - **IMDb ID:** tt31806037 - **TMDB ID:** 249042 - **Wikidata ID:** Q127774333 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31806037/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/249042, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127774333 **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 89 from 14 reviews *In a sentence:* Four unbroken takes, and we still kept looking for somewhere to hide > Philip Barantini’s four-part drama is frightening, compassionate and worth the discomfort. Its single-take filming serves the performances, though the writing can become too insistent about explaining the pressures on boys. ## Synopsis A 13-year-old boy is accused of murder, and the people around him have to confront what they know about his life. The investigation brings questions about violence, masculinity and the pressures boys face online into the lives of those trying to understand the accusation. Written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne and directed by Philip Barantini, *Adolescence* follows the impact of the case across four episodes, each filmed in a single take. The cast includes Amari Bacchus as Adam Bascombe and Fatima Bojang as Jade. ## Review *Adolescence* is a crime drama we recommend, with a reservation about how insistently it explains some of its concerns. Writers Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne use the accusation against a child to examine the pressures around boys and the damage those pressures can do. Across four episodes, the series asks adults to consider how much of a young person’s life they actually understand. That could make for a dutiful programme about a social problem, but Philip Barantini’s direction keeps the immediate human distress difficult to set aside. Each episode unfolds in a single take, and cinematographer Matthew Lewis makes that continuity oppressive without letting it become the only thing we notice. The opening interrogation gives the method a purpose: a question has to be heard, and the answer waited for. We were frightened by the strain of that exchange. There is no cut to offer even the smallest pause in watching a child being questioned. Barantini makes a familiar crime-drama scene uncomfortable by asking us to sit through it. The acting is crucial to that discomfort. The performances feel unprepared in the useful sense: we cannot hear anyone aiming for the next emotional effect, even within such tightly organised filming. Adult distress feels painfully inadequate to the task of understanding what has happened. These performances give the discussion of masculinity a human urgency that the script cannot always achieve when it addresses the subject more directly. Adam Tomlinson’s production design holds up to the prolonged attention, staying unobtrusive enough that we do not find ourselves admiring the surroundings while someone is in distress. The absence of cuts within each episode also places the work of changing pace on the actors and camera movement. Aaron May and David Ridley’s music contributes to the unease, though it is not what we remember most. The questioning supplies enough tension simply through the time it takes someone to answer. The writing is less secure when it broadens from these encounters into an explanation of online misogyny. There are passages where Graham and Thorne seem anxious to ensure that nobody misses the lesson, and the dialogue becomes instructional. We understand the wish to make this material clear, particularly for viewers unfamiliar with the influences being discussed. But explanation starts to take time away from watching people respond. Crime dramas often get impatient with the distress that follows an accusation. This one asks us to stay with the damage around a crime instead of treating it as something to get through before the next revelation. That patience gives the performances their force, even when the writing grows too explanatory. It carries a 15 certificate. Save it for an evening when neither of you is looking for reassurance. *Fi1m score 84, published 12 September 2026.* ## What the critics say All 14 reviews are positive, with praise concentrated on the performances and the single-take filming. Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper receive particular attention for making the distress feel immediate and personal. Most critics find that the continuous shots deepen the tension rather than distract from the drama. The reviews also value the series’ examination of toxic masculinity, teenagers’ online lives and the effects of violence on families, frequently describing it as harrowing and compassionate. The differences concern how fully the writing handles those wider issues. The Independent is the most reserved, finding the opening gripping but later episodes uneven and instructional. The AV Club also sees occasional difficulty with the broader themes, while NME questions the limited attention given to the female victim. Collider, by contrast, praises the treatment of online influences as nuanced rather than preachy. The spread runs from qualified approval to emphatic enthusiasm, with no outright dissent. ## Straight answers **Is Adolescence worth watching?** *Adolescence* is worth watching, and we scored it 84. Philip Barantini's four-part drama about a 13-year-old accused of murder is frightening and compassionate, with performances that never seem to be reaching for an effect. Our reservation is the writing, which becomes too insistent about explaining the pressures on boys, so save it for an evening when you are not looking for reassurance. **How long is Adolescence, and what is it rated?** *Adolescence* is rated 16 by the FPB in South Africa. It is a drama and crime series. **Where can I watch Adolescence in South Africa?** *Adolescence* is streaming on Netflix in South Africa. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Adolescence, and is it suitable for children?** *Adolescence* carries a 15 certificate in the UK and is not suitable for children. The distress is emotional rather than graphic: the series concerns a child accused of murder, and its most frightening scene is a prolonged interrogation filmed without a cut. Older teenagers may find it valuable, but the subject of online misogyny and violence is handled without reassurance. **How does Adolescence compare to The Hunt?** *Adolescence* and [*The Hunt*](https://film.one/film/the-hunt) both show how quickly an accusation spreads through a community, but the series stays with a child and his family across four unbroken episodes, while Vinterberg's film follows a falsely accused teacher. We recommend both. The film is the more concentrated of the two; the series is the more patient with the damage, though its writing is the more instructional. **What should I watch after Adolescence?** After *Adolescence*, try [*The Hunt*](https://film.one/film/the-hunt) (2012, Fi1m 82): For the frightening speed with which an accusation becomes a community’s certainty. Then [*Kes*](https://film.one/film/kes) (1969, Fi1m 88): A neglected boy gets the patient attention his teachers struggle to offer. ### Reviews we read (14) - **Evening Standard**, Vicky Jessop (5/5): The critic hails it as possibly the year's most important and vital TV, an electrifying watch that is hard to look away from due to the one-take format and urgent storytelling, singling out outstanding performances especially from Owen Cooper. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/adolescence-netflix-review-stephen-graham-ashley-walters-b1216272.html) - **Radio Times**, Abby Robinson (5/5): The critic calls the series a powerful and poignant study of toxic masculinity and its deadly impact on young men and boys, driven by the one-shot technique and standout performances, particularly from newcomer Owen Cooper. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/adolescence-netflix-review/) - **The Guardian** (5/5): The critic praises the series as powerful, issue-led television with staggering performances, especially from Stephen Graham and newcomer Owen Cooper, and technically ambitious single-take direction by Barantini. It singles out the unflinching exploration of online radicalisation and family impact for praise while noting its potential real-world influence. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/17/adolescence-netflix-powerful-tv-could-save-lives) - **The Telegraph**, Anita Singh (5/5): The critic calls it a quietly devastating drama that will chill the blood of parents, praising its exploration of pressures on boys today including social media and toxic masculinity, along with phenomenal acting especially from Stephen Graham and newcomer Owen Cooper. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2025/03/01/adolescence-review-it-will-chill-the-blood-of-any-parent-of/) - **The Times** (5/5): The piece describes the series as jaw-dropping and immersive, praising the single-take direction, strong performances from Stephen Graham and others, and its urgent exploration of teenagers' online lives and toxic influences. It singles out the nightmarish quality and social relevance for parents as standout elements. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/adolescence-the-tv-drama-that-every-parent-should-watch-z8dvjwv3p) - **Empire**, David Opie (90/100, inferred): The series is a triumph of creative and technical artistry, with Barantini's one-shot filming elevating the narrative about toxic masculinity and family tragedy. Performances, especially from Graham and newcomer Cooper, are extraordinary. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/adolescence/) - **Variety**, Aramide Tinubu (90/100, inferred): The series is a chilling, gutting examination of murder, toxic masculinity and societal failures around misogyny and teen fragility, with raw writing and stunning performances that underscore how we continue to fail younger generations. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/adolescence-review-netflix-1236334549) - **The AV Club**, Brian Tallerico (B+): This is a devastating and harrowing character study of the ripple effects of violence, anchored by strong performances especially from Stephen Graham. The single unbroken shot per episode intensifies the emotional impact and creates an intimate, non-passive viewing experience, though it sometimes struggles with broader thematic points. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/adolescence-review-netflix-tv-miniseries) - **IndieWire**, Ben Travers (80/100, inferred): The series subverts traditional crime drama expectations by examining why a 13-year-old boy commits murder rather than who did it, using episode-long single takes. The critic highlights the compassionate handling of societal issues around angry young men and the impressive technical and emotional execution by the cast and crew. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/adolescence-review-netflix-1235102544/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (80/100, inferred): The taut one-shot legal thriller is impressive and intriguing, with the continuous-take technique complementing a resonant contemporary story and exceptional performances rather than overshadowing them. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/adolescence-review-netflix-1236150339) - **The Independent** (70/100, inferred): The review calls the opening episode gripping and intense due to its one-take technique and compelling performances, particularly the interrogation scenes, but finds later episodes more uneven and instructional. It highlights the harrowing depiction of the manosphere's influence and knife crime as compelling yet occasionally veering toward misery. [Read](https://independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/adolescence-netflix-review-episodes-stephen-graham-b2716952.html) - **Collider**, Taylor Gates (9/10): The critic praises the series as essential and important viewing, highlighting its seamless one-take episodes as a technical achievement that enhances immersion, exceptional performances (especially Owen Cooper's debut), and nuanced handling of toxic masculinity and online influences without preachiness. [Read](https://collider.com/adolescence-netflix-review/) - **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (85/100, inferred): The series explores the aftermath of a shocking crime through empathetic storytelling and technical skill in its one-take format across episodes. Episode 3 stands out as extraordinary due to the remarkable, naturalistic performance by newcomer Owen Cooper in a tense two-hander. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/adolescence-episode-3-is-extraordinary-television/) - **NME**, Rhian Daly (4/5): The critic calls the series essential viewing for its unflinching exploration of toxic masculinity and the manosphere's influence on boys, with standout performances from Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper. It notes a flaw in focusing too little on the female victim. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/adolescence-review-stephen-graham-netflix-3845633) ## Details - **Created by:** Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne - **Creator:** Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne - **Director:** Philip Barantini - **Writer:** Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne - **Cinematography:** Matthew Lewis - **Music:** Aaron May, David Ridley - **Production design:** Adam Tomlinson - **Costume design:** Jessica Schofield - **Producer:** Jo Johnson - **Cast:** Alfie Ward as Moray; Kaine Davis as Ryan; Emilia Holliday as Katie; Anne Hornby as Tonia Simpson; Bidi Iredale as Eileen; Jay Johnson as PC Grogan; Fatima Bojang as Jade; Amari Bacchus as Adam Bascombe - **Certificate (FPB):** 16 - **Release (South Africa):** 13 March 2025 - **Genres:** Drama, Crime - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk5OxqtpBR4 ## Where to watch in South Africa - Netflix: streaming *Checked 2026-09-12.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Primetime Emmy Awards 2025: Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series (won) ## If you liked this - *The Hunt* (2012), Fi1m 82: For the frightening speed with which an accusation becomes a community’s certainty. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-hunt.md) - *Happy Valley* (2014): A police investigation shares space with family grief, exhaustion and stubborn affection. - *Monster* (2023): Another drama asking how much grown-ups miss when they think they understand. - *Kes* (1969), Fi1m 88: A neglected boy gets the patient attention his teachers struggle to offer. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kes.md) - *The Class* (2008): A classroom becomes a testing ground for authority, resentment and mutual misunderstanding. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/adolescence