Audiences and reviewers alike have showered acclaim on Netflix's compelling drama "Adolescence," with numerous people deeming it a groundbreaking television series.
The four-episode British series debuted last week and became the most-viewed program globally over the weekend on the streaming platform.
The Times' Tom Peck referred to it as "absolute perfection," a sentiment shared by the Guardian's Lucy Mangan who mentioned it as "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 for allegedly committing the crime.
Jamie, the youthful suspect, is portrayed by emerging actor Owen Cooper, alongside Stephen Graham playing his father.
The narrative highlights the damaging effects of social media and sexist influencers on certain young males.
Graham mentioned that he felt compelled to create the show after coming across two distinct accounts of boys murdering girls with knives.
He mentioned during an interview with CDRNEWS’s The One Show, 'I couldn’t help but wonder, what has happened in our society for such incidents to become commonplace?'
I simply couldn’t understand it. Therefore, I decided to take a closer look and attempt to shed some light on this specific issue.
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, informed BBC Radio 4's Today program 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 provides an opportunity for parents, relatives like aunts and uncles, as well as mere acquaintances, to participate in the talk.
Every episode was captured in one continuous shot without cuts.
Mangan stated in The Guardian that its technical achievements were complemented by "a series of performances worthy of awards and a screenplay that simultaneously manages to feel deeply authentic and profoundly evocative."
She stated, "Being an adolescent is a profoundly touching yet immensely 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," noting, "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 acknowledged that the performances were "remarkable."
Graham is considered "the best actor working today," however, "the truly remarkable performance" belongs to Cooper, according to her.
He transitions among fragility, rage, boldness, and dread. His actions in this instance 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 your television screens this year."
The New York Times' Margaret Lyons He referred to it as "a rich work of social critique," and he highlighted the standout episode, which is the third, calling it "one of the most intriguing television hours I have watched in quite some time."
On CDRNEWSRadio 5 Live's Top Picks for Must-Watch Hayley Campbell mentioned that the drama does not try to address the issues it brings up.
Bringing it up and 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.
This drama primarily focuses on the terrifying realization of how little influence you actually have over your child and their activities on their mobile device.
Fellow reviewer Scott Bryan commented: "The acting is truly remarkable. This production stands out as impeccable. However, I believe the individual who merits the greatest acclaim is 15-year-old Owen Cooper."