Adolescence, released to Netflix on March 13, is a four-part miniseries about a thirteen year old British boy accused of stabbing his female classmate. The show takes place over the course of thirteen months and shows hour-long snapshots of the main character, Jamie, and his community. To further envelope the audience in conflict, each episode was filmed in one shot. The camera moves fluidly through the minimized set, forcing the audience to become a bystander. The acting is impeccable: Owen Cooper stars as the friendly yet aggressive Jamie, Stephen Graham conveys a guilt and shaken confidence that sharply amplifies the drama. 

As the plot unfolds, the show grapples with Gen Z’s vulnerability to cyberbullying, male rage, toxic masculinity, and online misogyny - not just to be oppressed by it but to willingly adopt it. “Andrew Tate shyt,” as Jamie’s father calls it, is an insurmountable force consumed by the young characters, and mercilessly influences their social dynamics. Adults are portrayed as concerned yet oblivious figures, “blundering around, not getting it,” as the detective’s son tells his father in order to explain drama occurring on social media. Jamie’s parents assume him to be the childlike figure of his youth, preventing them from recognizing red flags and supporting their son as he navigates a complex digital world they have little knowledge of. 

It truly becomes a horror because of the relatability. Jamie earnestly appears to be innocent, his bedroom is covered in galaxy print wallpaper, he wets himself when the cops arrest him, and clings to his father for support. He struggles with body image and confidence. Jamie seems to be like any boy his age, moody and temperamental, but sensitive and vulnerable. But normal boys are not accused of stabbing their classmates. 

The series expertly reflects the 21st century tensions between normalcy and insanity. Insanity is the new normalcy. The number of UK teenagers killed by a stabbing has risen by 240% in the past decade, and in the U.S., gun deaths have surged by 50% since 2019. Teens spend approximately nine hours on screens per day (Mastermind Behavior Services), and three-fourths of teens say they have watched pornography, and more than half said they were exposed to it by age 13 (USA Today). The issues propelling the “why-dunnit” are frighteningly relatable. “This wasn’t about “othering” Jamie,” Jack Thorn, the writer, said. “Don’t put this in the extraordinary. We made this feel like it could happen to you, because that is the reality of what is happening in our world.”