BOTTOM LINE
Spine-Chilling Crime Drama
PLATFORM
Netflix
RUNTIME
230 Minutes (4 Episodes)
What Is the Film About?
A 13-year-old, Jamie Miller, is accused of stabbing a classmate Katie. The dissection of events leading to the crime reveals a complex web of toxic masculinity and online influences. Jamie’s family faces immense strain, navigating the legal system while questioning their understanding of their son. The four-episode series throws light on the crime, the possible motives and the aftermath.
Performances
Owen Cooper delivers a first-rate performance as Jamie Miller, uncovering various layers beneath the culprit’s persona and handling various transitions in the character with ease. Stephen Graham gets the tougher part – of the accused’s father, who is clueless about the notorious side of their child and performs with it with impressive nuance and restraint.
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Ashley Walters and Faye Marsay form a good on-screen duo as the righteous, committed officers. Erin Doherty (psychologist) gets adequate scope to shine in the third episode, while the others – Christine Tremarco, Amelie Pease, Mark Stanley and Jo Hartley – do what’s expected of them sincerely in brief roles.
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Analysis
Adolescence, a crime drama with a psychological bent, revolves around a 13-year-old school boy Jamie, who’s reportedly killed his classmate Katie. The cops have clear evidence of him committing the crime though he pleads innocence. The show starts with the officials barging into the Miller household, doing what they can to arrest Jamie, despite stiff resistance from the family.
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The first episode spends little time delving into the premise, briefly hinting at the officers’ helter-skelter lifestyle as they prepare for another day at work. This gets slightly complex because a child is involved, and it demands sensitivity. The family and the child have little time to process the events, but as the story progresses, they gear up for a long battle ahead.
As the show progresses, each episode features elaborate, continuous shots set across multiple timelines, backdrops, and situations. The first episode deals with the drama leading to the arrest and its aftermath at the station. Later episodes unfold at a school (which provides a context for the crime), the detention centre (where Jamie and a clinical psychologist converse), and finally, months later, at Jamie’s house.
Interestingly, it is shot in a linear format. There are no convenient throwbacks to Jamie’s past and his possible equation with Katie and his family. The creators smartly use the present to logically decide what might have possibly surfaced in the past. One of the police staff even says, ‘Jamie is a bright boy.’ What’s the unclosed side to the boy though? You discover it bit by bit.
Adolescence is a class apart from regular crime dramas because it doesn’t try to manipulate. Shot in docudrama style, it tackles crime as realistically as possible and tries to be a psychological anatomy of a murder. It is a show that engages and prompts you to think without much spoon-feeding; it gives you the space to process the information while not stating the obvious, using a crisp narrative.
While the first two episodes deal with the obvious, uncovering the story from the officers’ perspective, where they establish the motive behind the crime and gather evidence, the detailing in the latter set of episodes gives it an edge. The tension in the conversation between the psychologist and the teenager is effectively built, offering a glimpse of the culprit’s uncontrolled rage.
Yet, it is the last episode that leaves a spell-binding impact, where the family celebrates the father’s birthday in the absence of the boy. They discuss what could have gone wrong with their parenting, the possibility of relocating to a new place and are visibly angry when an incident in the neighbourhood doesn’t allow their wounds to heal. It’s just the quiet, impactful ending this show deserved.
The creative choice to not showcase the repercussions of the crime among the victim’s family is a brave one. It singularly chooses to tell the culprit’s side of the story and stands by its decision firmly. Adolescence is a study of the mind as much as it’s about a crime; it is cinematically effective and doesn’t resort to cheap tricks to engage a viewer. Don’t miss it.
Music and Other Departments?
Composers Aaron May and David Ridley come up with a terrific album – the songs and the craft score set the tone perfectly for the grim, unhurried show. Matthew Lewis’ cinematography, with the penetrating close-ups allows us to discover what’s unsaid. The editing choices, staying true to the essence of the story, deserve praise. The dialogues, sharp and incisive, contribute to its appeal.
Highlights?
Unique storytelling pattern to a crime drama
Terrific performances
Crisp execution, technical finesse
Drawbacks?
The obviousness of the initial episodes
Could’ve provided a more incisive glimpse into the culprit’s psyche
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Absolutely, a feast for crime drama enthusiasts
AdolescenceNetflix Series Review by M9
