I have reached that age where people ask me when I am going to get married and have kids. I say “never,” but I rarely get into the reasoning behind it. And the truth of the matter is that I am worried about what I am going to pass on to my partner and my kid(s). I don’t want to bring a new life into this imploding world, and I don’t have the courage to foster a child and give them the false hope that the future ahead is bright. A lot of people say that there’s no point in overthinking this and everyone should just go with the flow. But maybe I’m too sensitive and averse to being so ignorant to try such stunts. Some of these apprehensions of mine were echoed in the harrowing docudrama, The Night is Dark and Colder than the Day, which focused on a bunch of German kids who suffered from suicidal thoughts because they had grown up through the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the rest has been addressed by Adolescence.
Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Thorne, with the episodes being directed by Philip Barantini, Adolescence is centered around the Miller family—Eddie, Manda, Lisa, and Jamie—whose lives are turned upside down when Jamie is arrested, under suspicion of murder, by DI Luke and DS Misha. Based on the behavior displayed by Eddie, Manda, and Lisa, and the manner in which Jamie carries himself while being bombarded with pointed questions, the whole thing seems like a case of mistaken identity. But as soon as Eddie and Jamie, along with solicitor Paul, enter the interrogation room with Luke and Misha, our expectations get subverted and the picture starts to become clearer. As the miniseries goes deeper and deeper into the reason behind the crime that has allegedly been committed by Jamie, the far-reaching tentacles of the manosphere become apparent. And by the time the case reaches its climax, and the Millers face the devastating truth about their idea of a family life, the call for collective introspection becomes deafening, and the need for a complete systemic overhaul feels necessary.
Adolescence is mandatory viewing for all. Everyone, from someone who is stepping into their teenage years to someone who is about to become a grandparent, needs to watch this 4-part miniseries for 2 very different reasons. For those who have never heard about the manosphere and those wretched men who are earning millions of dollars spreading misogyny and hatred, this fictional story is a decent gateway into the real villains of modern society. Yes, it’s a fictional narrative, but if you have the fortitude to scroll through the comments sections of various social media apps, you’ll see the endless stream of sexism that’s being poured into the internet by kids who don’t even know how to do basic math. And trust me when I say this: ignorance won’t give you the bliss you dream of. The manosphere exists, and as a parent, foster parent, or grandparent, if you think that the child in your family is magically unaffected by its harmful effects, I am afraid that you need to wake up and smell the coffee.
The reason why I want people whose minds are still developing—kids, teenagers, and young adults—to watch Adolescence is a little different than why I want adults to watch the miniseries. Speaking from personal experience, and at the risk of sounding like an old man, I feel that there is a concerted effort to erase the fear of consequences for one’s “edgy” or “controversial” actions. Youngsters seem to have not only stopped caring about their mental well-being but that of their loved ones as well. They’ve been convinced that they have “main character energy” while everyone else is acting like an NPC. Hence, it is somehow okay to act violently and not care about the physical or psychological pain that it’s causing to your fellow human being. And I think that the makers of the miniseries do an impeccable job of showing such misdirected individuals why they need to lead their lives with empathy. They show that the likes of Andrew Tate or Elvish Yadav won’t care if you have followed their values and shown the feminists who is the real boss. They won’t be held accountable for your mistakes. They’ll keep earning off the miseries and insecurities of kids growing up in these tumultuous times, while said kids walk towards an increasingly bleak future.
On top of the aforementioned aspects, Adolescence functions on many other levels. The writers factor in capitalism, the faults of the law enforcement authorities, the irresponsible behavior of teachers in educational institutions, and society’s general lack of concern for the future they’re leaving behind for the next few generations to illustrate why kids are acting so erratically. Even though the narrative is centered around a murder, they choose to generate suspense and self-analysis by investigating the motive instead of turning it into a whodunnit, which is a smart move. Since you are not looking for clues, your mind gets to marinate in the complex character study and actually wonder what the current crop of kids are getting influenced by. The immersiveness of the story is only heightened by the one-take style of visual storytelling. Graham and Barantini have done it before in Boiling Point. Hence, I’m not that surprised that Barantini has done it again. I’ve complained before about the overuse of the faux one-take gimmick, but in this miniseries, firstly, it’s done flawlessly, and secondly, it really allows the viewer to stay in the tension and drama exuding from each moment in each episode. The entire crew deserves a massive round of applause for their work.
The cast of Adolescence is impeccable. Stephen Graham is splendid. Ashley Walters is stoic. Erin Doherty displays vulnerability and strength so skillfully. Faye Marsay is excellent. Christine Tremarco is going to break your heart. Amelie Pease is brilliant, despite her limited screen time. Mark Stanley, Jo Hartley, Kaine Davis, Lewis Pemberton, Amari Bacchus, Fatima Bojang, and the rest of the supporting cast are all amazing. But I have to give it to Owen Cooper for his absolutely diabolical and gut-wrenching performance. The kid made me judge my sense of judgment of people. The range that he shows in the 1st and the 3rd episodes is genuinely mind-boggling. Based on his IMDb page, this is his acting debut. How does one even do that in their acting debut? I have seen star kids and “promising” actors enter this space who are not even close to being on Cooper’s level. And here I have never heard of this kid, and I can’t stop singing his praises. The whole miniseries has some of the best performances of the year; there’s no doubt about that. However, Owen Cooper is a cut above the rest, and he deserves all the accolades coming his way.
Adolescence has been listed as a psychological crime drama, but I think it belongs in the horror category because I was scared to my core after watching it. The miniseries has done a commendable job of addressing the threat of the manosphere and injecting some sense of fear into the kids who are idolizing the worst of the worst. While it has only hinted at the reach and influence of some of the most significant figures of that cult, the reality is much worse. Without naming any names, some of these people have been endorsed by politicians and celebrities. Some of them have become policymakers. Some of them are so popular that they can bring entire cities to a standstill. And all of their calling cards are linked to misogyny. Looking at all that does make you feel helpless, and it seems pointless to ask people to be progressive and do better. However, for the sake of the future generations, I’ll dare to hope that the manosphere will be loudly rejected one day and every single member of that wretched “religion” will be severely punished for their crimes.
