Last spring, the British drama Baby Reindeer starring Richard Gadd came out of nowhere and captured the attention of audiences worldwide. The Netflix show, based on a true story about an emotionally damaged comedian who is stalked by one of his fans, won almost universal praise from critics and an armful of Emmys and Golden Globes.
Almost one year later, another British show is poised to mimic Baby Reindeer’s success. Adolescence, a four-episode drama about a teenage boy accused of murder, debuted on March 13 on Netflix, and immediately became the streamer’s most popular show. It also received flowers from critics, with some like Slate’s Rebecca Onion calling it the best TV show of 2025 and The Guardian proclaiming it “the closest thing to TV perfection in decades”.
Those are big claims to make, and some might be skeptical that the limited series can live up to that kind of hype. But after you watch Adolescence, you’ll become a believer; it’s really that good, and its unsettling power will stay with you after you’ve watched it. There are many reasons why Adolescence is excellent, but the following three best sum up why it’s a show you won’t soon forget.
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The Story is Gripping
Adolescence begins with a dramatic police raid of a suburban home in a small English town, and the tension never really lets up from there. Led by Detective Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters), the police quickly arrest 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) for the murder of a female classmate and transport him to the local jail. From there, the show splits into three main narratives: one focusing on Jamie and his subsequent questioning by various police and psychologists, another following Luke as he interviews teachers and students at Jamie’s school, and the final one depicting how Jamie’s family, in particular his father Eddie (Stephen Graham), deals with the allegations made against their son.
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It’s no spoiler to reveal that Jamie is guilty; the evidence presented early on leaves little doubt of his innocence. But the beauty of Adolescence, and why the story is so compelling, isn’t in answering the who but in figuring out the why. Without giving too much away, Adolescence is one of the few shows to really probe incel culture, and trace how toxic masculinity can influence someone like Jamie. The teenager has a loving family and has all the middle-class comforts any child could want. So why did he throw it all away to murder an innocent girl? The show doesn’t provide any easy answers or opportunities for comfort, and that’s why it’s so damn good.
It’s a Technical Marvel
While the story itself is enough to make it a must-watch series, how Adolescence tells its story is what makes it so unique. Each of its four episodes is shot in one continuous take with no apparent cuts, which makes each episode effective in different ways. In the first episode, this approach helps communicate the shock and confusion felt by Jamie’s family about his sudden arrest while in the second episode, which takes place at Jamie’s school, conveys the desperation the teachers and the police share as they try to talk to and console Jamie’s peers.
The third episode focuses primarily on Jamie’s one-on-one talk with child psychologist Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty). Because the camera never cuts away during their long discussion, the audience gets to see the hidden layers of Jamie’s personality. The fourth and last episode is less showy but just as effective, as it depicts the aftermath of Jamie’s incarceration and its devastating impact on Eddie.
Sometimes in movies and TV shows, creators who are too technically ambitious can obstruct their own storytelling; there’s a risk viewers can be more focused on how the story is being told rather than how it should be affecting them. That’s not the case with Adolescence–it utilizes long shots, Steadicams, and drones to convey the right emotions at the right time.
Among the many impressive sequences, perhaps the most gut-wrenching is at the end of episode 2, when the camera follows several children leaving the school. The camera suddenly begins to rise and floats high in the sky as children sing a cover of Sting’s “Fragile” on the soundtrack. It then gently rests on a parking lot filled with flowers, and before the scene cuts to black, you realize it’s the location where Jamie murdered his classmate. With no cuts away from the action, the effect is devastating. You’re always close to what’s happening, and it’s hard to separate yourself from what’s happening onscreen.
The Acting is Superb
A great story combined with impressive production values means nothing if you don’t care about the characters. Fortunately, Adolescence features superb acting from a cast of mostly recognizable English actors and one star-making turn from a newcomer with a bright future. As Eddie, Stephen Graham is the wounded heart of the show. His character is closest to Jamie, and his son’s actions affect him the most. Graham is mostly known for tough-guy roles in Snatch, Boardwalk Empire, and Peaky Blinders, but here, he plays a father totally broken by what his son has done.
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He’s matched by Owen Cooper, who plays his son Jamie. Cooper had never acted professionally before Adolescence, and it doesn’t show at all. Cooper’s work here is one of the best performances by a child ever–he’s that impressive. His acting in episode 3, in which he has to hold his own with Doherty, a veteran of such shows as The Crown, is outstanding; his Jamie seamlessly transforms from a frightened child overwhelmed by his situation to the violent man he secretly aspires to be. It’s a chameleon-like performance, and you can understand why Emerald Fennell has already cast him in her Wuthering Heights remake with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. He’s one to watch.
The Baby Reindeer of 2025
Like Baby Reindeer before it, Adolescence is worthy of all the praise it’s received so far. Through its stellar storytelling, filmmaking, and acting, it presents an unforgettable portrait of disturbed youth that feels topical without being exploitative. It’s not easy to watch, but the show’s deep empathy for all of its characters, even Jamie, makes it ultimately a rewarding one that you’ll think about long after it’s over.
Adolescence is streaming now on Netflix.
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