By: Chole Rocha

‘Adolescence’ is a limited series on Netflix, directed by Philip Barantini. This show is not like many other TV shows on Netflix because each episode was filmed in one shot. This means that from the beginning to end of each episode, there is not a single cut in the camera.

This show is a coming of age drama that touches on subjects that many children go through during their teenage years. It is set in a school in the UK, with young teens that are being exposed to the toxic environments that social media provides.

Each character faces their own troubles and are all unique in their own way. Some struggles that were shown in the show were gender identity, depression, substance use, bullying, and academic pressure.

The actors were able to display raw emotions that made everything feel real to the viewer. The main character, Jamie Miller, was played by Owen Cooper. This show was Owen’s first acting role. I think that he did amazing at playing this character and taking on such a difficult job for his first time.

Jamie Miller, is a young boy who was bullied online and he eventually committed a crime that could not be undone. The first episode shows Jamie being arrested as a suspect for a murder, but by the end of the show, you can see the impacts that his decisions had on his family and the other people around him.

As each episode goes on, you can clearly see Jamie’s mental state start to disintegrate. The show was never a “who did it” murder mystery, it was clear by the first episode who committed the crime. The point of the show was to figure out why he did it and what led him to that point.

During an interview with GQ, Philip Barantini stated that the purpose of the show was to spark conversations about the dangers of cyberbullying and toxic masculinity. He wanted to encourage parents to engage in more deep conversations with their children about their online experiences. I really enjoyed watching this show because it was amazing to see everything filmed in one continuous shot. All of the actors that were in this show have amazing talent and were able to deliver amazing scenes for us to watch.