Everything You Need to Know About Netflix’s New Hit Series «Adolescence»
Netflix’s latest gem, the piercing series «Adolescence», follows a 13-year-old schoolboy arrested on suspicion of murdering a classmate. In just days, it’s surged to the top of the platform, winning over viewers worldwide. Here’s why you can’t afford to miss it.
What «Adolescence» Is About
At its heart is Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old hauled in by police after security footage shows him fatally stabbing his classmate, Katie Leonard. From that moment, life unravels for Jamie and his father (Stephen Graham) as police, a psychologist, and a lawyer scramble to piece together the truth. The evidence—a video of someone in Jamie’s clothes attacking the girl—seems damning. Yet Jamie denies it all, while his horrified father digs for answers.
The series trails Jamie and his family across stark settings: from police interrogation rooms to the school he shared with Katie, and eventually a juvenile psychiatric hospital where he awaits trial. The story leaps forward a year in its final episode, revealing Jamie on the brink of pleading guilty as his family grasps for some semblance of normalcy.
Why «Adolescence» Resonates
Jamie’s world is steeped in social media’s sway, warping his views on women through public opinion. The show tackles the chilling rise of incel culture—an online subculture where members see themselves as doomed to romantic and sexual rejection—shedding light on a timely societal shadow.
The Cast
Owen Cooper, portraying Jamie, steps into the spotlight as a newcomer—no surprise at just 15. His star’s already rising, with a role as young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation of «Wuthering Heights» alongside Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi on the horizon.
Christine Tremarco, playing Jamie’s mother Manda, brings experience from British series like «Safe Home», «Tin Star», and «Wolfe».
Co-creator Stephen Graham, who plays Jamie’s father Eddie, boasts eight BAFTA nominations. He’s best known for roles in «Peaky Blinders», «Boiling Point», and «Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales».
Is «Adolescence» Based on a True Story?
While not ripped straight from headlines, the series draws inspiration from the persistent scourge of gender-based violence in the UK and beyond. Co-creator Stephen Graham reflected on its roots: “There was a case where a young lad (allegedly) stabbed a girl, and I thought, ‘What’s happening in society when a boy stabs a girl?’ Then it happened again. And again. I just wanted to unpack that and ask, ‘Why is this happening now? How did we get here?’”
Why Only Four Episodes?
The first (and likely only) season wraps up in just four parts. “We knew we wanted it to end in that room,” Graham explained, nodding to the psychiatric hospital finale. “We wanted the journey to close where it began. That’s where the person Jamie becomes was forged.”
Catch «Adolescence» streaming on Netflix now.
