This Chilling Limited Series Filmed In One Take Is One Of The Best Netflix Originals Ever

Netflix releases a lot of original material — or “content,” as they’d unfortunately call it — so it’s very easy for things to get lost in the shuffle (and sometimes, originals will even vanish from the streamer or just get canceled way too quickly). If I’m being honest, I can also say a large percentage of these originals can be altogether forgettable and disposable. Which is why when something truly remarkable comes along, it’s worth highlighting and propping up. All of this is to say that “Adolescence,” a new limited series from the streamer, is not only worth watching, it’s also one of the best originals Netflix has released so far.

Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (who also co-stars), “Adolescence” is a harrowing, disturbing, frequently heartbreaking story told with a unique hook: each of its four episodes unfolds in real-time, via one long unbroken take. While one of the episodes remains (mostly) rooted in one room, the rest freely travel about, which means the camera is constantly moving, following characters from one location to the next in one take. A cynical viewer might shrug this off as a gimmick, but “Adolescence” uses this approach to make each episode all the more intense — the lack of cutting only increases the tension and pressure, and results in an almost hypnotic quality. We’re hesitant to look away for fear of missing something (much like the recent horror hit “Mads”).

“Adolescence” wastes no time, kicking off with a heart-quickening sequence in which police burst into the home of a suburban family in the UK and arrest 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) for the murder of one of his classmates. Jamie’s parents, Eddie (Graham) and Manda (Christine Tremarco) are understandably distraught at the sight of their young son being hauled away, and Jamie seems terrified, even as the arresting officer, Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) tries to give him advice on how to handle these upsetting moments.

With that set-up, you might think “Adolescence” is a murder mystery. But by the end of the first episode, it becomes abundantly clear that Jamie is guilty — there’s literally security footage that shows him stabbing a girl to death. Jamie keeps claiming he’s innocent, but his guilt isn’t really the concern of the show. Instead, “Adolescence” attempts to investigate why a 13-year-old boy would commit a violent murder. Is he a psychopath? Are his parents to blame?

Each episode jumps forward a bit in time, and a bigger picture becomes clear. While Jamie is clearly a kid, he’s also been indoctrinated by toxic online “men’s rights” garbage, the likes of which is frequently spewed by chinless ghouls like Andrew Tate. With this approach, “Adolescence” could’ve easily dipped into cornball afterschool special territory, essentially preying on parental fears of kids these days spending too much time on that darn internet. But “Adolescence” is smarter than that, heightened by its unique filmmaking and strong performances. Everyone here is giving their all, diving into emotionally charged roles that feel genuine and authentic.

Nearly every episode of “Adolescence” feels like a standout — there’s no “one great episode” here, but rather a collection of four compelling stories that each land a gut-punch on the viewer. The first episode is all about Jamie’s arrest. The second episode has Bascombe and his partner (Faye Marsay) visiting Jamie’s school and finding it to be something of a chaotic hellhole. Episode three is particularly unnerving, as a clinical psychologist, played with determined stoicism by Erin Doherty, has a one-on-one interview with Jamie that leads to a breakthrough moment.

The finale is something of an epilogue, that shows how Jamie’s family is struggling to get on with their lives in the wake of such a horrific, shattering event. I won’t spoil what happens, but I will say that the very final moments of this last episode broke me emotionally, thanks primarily to Graham’s devastating performance as a father coming to grips with the actions of his son, and his own potential personal failures.

“Adolescence” isn’t an easy watch — each episode is distressing in its own specific way. And yet, the end result is remarkable, and proof that Netflix can actually turn out something great and not the same old forgettable slop that gets shuffled about via algorithm. I won’t say you’ll enjoy something as chilling and raw as “Adolescence,” but this is a Netflix series that deserves to be watched.

“Adolescence” is now streaming on Netflix.