Released during March of this year Netflix’s new show “Adolescence” has done a lot more than break multiple viewing records. “Adolescence” is a slow-burn, four-part miniseries detailing the events that follow the arrest of a 13-year-old boy on suspicion of murder.
A few aspects immediately stand out in the show. Each episode was filmed in a single shot, meaning the actors were forced to remain in character for most of each episode and that the viewer could be fully immersed in the story. Rather than deriving the excitement of each episode from visual effects or editing the writing had to focus on a more unified story and the actors had to go above and beyond. Additionally, the heavy topics that the show addresses are not at all far from reality, in fact the writers based the narrative on multiple real-life instances. The story even contains references to real topics that are affecting young lives.
Notably the characters reference real ideologies that have spread through social media, a platform that allows more content to reach children and youth. While the internet has allowed people to become more radical in their beliefs, recently there has been a rise in online misogyny and extremism. The vast amount of content spreading these ideas of “Male Supremacism” is nicknamed the “Manosphere.” The main targets of this radicalization are men and boys who might feel outcasted from society and less socially adept. The idea that men are more powerful or superior allows many men and boys to justify acts of hate and even violence towards women. There is a concerning rise in both online misogyny and violence against women which is addressed in “Adolescence.”
Izzy Donnelly, an HHS sophomore who watched “Adolescence” shared her thoughts on the themes developed, “I really liked “Adolescence” because I thought that it was really powerful how they talked about real influencers” Izzy explained that bringing up popular influencers like Andrew Tate made the story connect with reality further. Andrew Tate is a self-proclaimed misogynist convicted of rape and trafficking, yet he still maintains a large platform with 10 million followers on X (formerly known as “Twitter”) alone. Izzy also commented on the filming style of the show, “I thought that it being shot in one shot brought a superhuman element to the show…I felt like since it was being shot in one take, I was kind of just watching somebody’s life pan out instead of watching like a choreographed movie with like scenes and plans. I think “Adolescence” is connected to reality in a few ways. To start, obviously things like this are happening every day. I thought that it brought a more empathetic side to the main character (the accused 13 year old) because he had a lot of like mental issues, but he was also being severely harassed and bullied and I think that that fear of people, especially young boys, becoming so hateful is a real issue right now.” Izzy also noted that the portrayal of other characters and their reaction to the loss of a young girl is very emotional and realistic.
HHS student Breanna Weiss added her thoughts on the part that social media played in the story and in real life. “I think that online context definitely is the most impactful influence on young people at this age in time. With that, if people fall across a nastier side, I definitely think they could be influenced to commit crime so it is important to make sure that while the internet is fun, make sure what you’re looking at is true.” She also explained her thoughts on the unique filming method of “Adolescence.” “I think shooting the show in one take is a good idea as it truly forces the actors to do their best in the moment and sometimes the improv or mistakes of the actors actually enhance the show. This could be challenging though because the actors only have one chance, which is always a gamble.”
“Adolescence” has proven the power of art in reflecting and shaping the world. The show was created to prove that today’s violence and hatred is powerful. “Adolescence’s” creator and star Stephen Graham expressed that he set out to make the viewers think “‘My God. This could be happening to us!’ And what is happening here is an ordinary family’s worst nightmare.” They purposefully strayed away from the typical portrayal of extremely difficult conditions producing violent people, because although that is often the case, it is becoming easier and easier for “normal” people to be completely transformed by social media. Amazingly the show’s important lesson has been recognized, igniting some initiatives in the U.K. for “Adolescence” to be shown in school to further spread its message.
