Photo Source: Kai Pilger on Unsplash.
This article contains spoilers, read at your own risk!
Stephen Graham has done it again.
The scouser and his team deserve one hell of a round of applause for their unbelievable new series that launched on Netflix on the 13th of March. The four-part series follows the events that take place after a 13-year-old boy is arrested for the murder of a high-school girl.
Each episode of Adolescence is shot in a single continuous shot, giving an impression of urgency as the camera flows from one character to the next. From astounding breakout performances to artful cinematography, the series is well on its way to the next award season, but what message should we take away from our viewing?
The skillful cinematography and writing allow for an incredibly lifelike interpretation of the arrest of Jamie Miller and following events. The audience is taken on a whirlwind journey following different characters in what co-writer Jack Thorne describes as a “relay race”. Importantly, this disallows the audience from being primarily attached to one character or one perspective.
A Real Epidemic
The series shines light on the epidemic of knife crime that is plaguing the UK, exploring the reasons as to why this problem is rising amongst our younger generations. The Youth Justice Board published that “in the year ending March 2024, there were just over 3,200 knife or offensive weapon offences committed by children resulting in a caution or sentence”.
In an interview with Mico Saad, Graham discusses reading multiple articles about knife crime involving children across the UK as a key inspiration for the show. He asks “where are we as a society that this kind of thing is happening?”, establishing that “from the beginning the aim was to ask the question why”. We know there is a rising problem of young children being involved in knife crime, but why has it come to this?
Masculinity and Manipulation
Adolescence offers a possible explanation for the rocketing incidents of knife crime and violence in the UK’s young population. During Episode 3 we see Jamie, played by Owen Cooper, in an interview with a psychologist, played by Erin Doherty, who broaches the topic of masculinity.
Here, a detailed image is painted of an insecure boy who views masculinity as a performance of dominance and aggression. It suggests that Jamie’s male influences are discouraged from showing vulnerability and perpetuate this in other men. The young boy has been unintentionally taught that the only acceptable outlet for emotion is through aggression, whether this is verbal or physical.
The series spotlights how the rise in misogynists with huge platforms, such as Andrew Tate, are influencing younger men into demonstrating masculinity in toxic ways. Jamie is depicted as a young boy who takes it upon himself to display the most violent reaction to rejection, as he associates his self-worth with his ability to convincingly perform a believable depiction of masculinity.
One of the beautiful things about this series is that we as an audience are not given all the answers or left with a tidy ending resolving every character’s storyline. As Jack Thorne says, “being able to tell an incomplete story is actually a real privilege” which encourages the inspiring – but somewhat frustrating – notion that as an audience we should be satisfied despite being left with our own interpretations and few answers. In an interview with Digital Spy, Graham suggests that we are all “slightly accountable, family, society, school, environment” and so “maybe we can look at this from a different perspective”.
We are at a turning point in history, where we can collectively decide what masculinity means. Does this mean we retire to traditional ways of thinking, or do we give our impressionable boys the tools and opportunities to decide what masculinity should be? Do we force a specific agenda down their throats, or do we give them the freedom of deciding for themselves what it is to be a man?
Graham’s Adolescence is a warning – not just for the present, but the future.
Mental Health Hotlines:
Call Mind’s support line on 0300 102 1234.
You can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (Call 116 123 )
If you’re experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10pm every day).
Knife Crime Helplines:
If you have information about knife crime you’d like to report, Crimestoppers is available via phone or online 24 hours a day. Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Victim Support 08 08 16 89 111
Edited by Freya Harrod.
