Episode #1.1

The Millers are shocked when The Police break their front door down early one morning and make a shocking arrest.

The drama that everyone is talking about, even our politicians.

It's a compelling first episode, gut wrenching, edge of the seat viewing, it really is powerful, yet uncomfortable. We've all seen countless crime dramas, but this one has a twist, the Prime suspect is a teenager.

There's a humdinger of a twist here, one that will ensure you're zoned in and fully engaged.

It has an almost documentary style vibe to it, it's a procedural drama, one where we learn pieces of the puzzle as time moves on.

This features one amazing cast, the likes of Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters and Faye Marsay, but credit where it's due, it's the young Owen Cooper who really delivered.

Powerful drama.

9/10.

The idea for Adolescence came from actor Stephen Graham after he heard about a young schoolgirl being stabbed.

He wanted to do something to tackle knife crime among young people.

Enlisting director Philip Barantini with whom he made the one shot film Boiling Point.

The same technique is used again but this time, the one shot drama is more adventurous. In Boiling Point it was confined to one location. Here the action is set in several places but there are no invisible cuts.

The story begins with an early morning raid at a house led by DI Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters.)

The police arrest 14 year old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper.) The rest of the family are in shock and confusion as the police break down the door.

Jamie is taken down the police station by DI Bascombe. Followed by Jamie's family led by his dad Eddie (Stephen Graham) who sits in the police station interview as the appropriate adult.

Eddie knows it is something serious but his son pleads his innocence. Whatever happened is nothing to do with him.

Jamie's duty solicitor knows that a young girl was stabbed and it is a serious charge that Jamie is facing. He advises Jamie to say 'no comment' to the questioning.

The first episode in outline is a police procedural but becomes much more as the truth emerges as to the events of what occured the night before.

Although the one shot episode is a gimmick. The lighting is too dark for example. It works well here as it gives the fly on the wall feel to the proceedings.

More importantly it allows the actors to shine. For them it might as well be a stage play. One slip up and the episode had to be recorded again from the start or wait for the next complete take later on.

Owen Cooper gives an astonishing performance in his first major role.

The film had a really excellent introduction, setting the tone perfectly with a gripping and intense opening sequence. It showcased a lot of thrilling scenes, which is exactly what I enjoy, keeping me on the edge of my seat from the start. What made it even more compelling was that it defied my expectations-I went in thinking it would follow a familiar formula, but it surprised me in the best way possible. I usually watch Harlan Coben films and read his books, so I'm used to intricate plots and suspenseful storytelling, but this introduction was on another level. The cinematography, pacing, and music all worked together seamlessly to create an atmosphere of mystery and excitement, making it clear that I was in for a rollercoaster of a story.

The outstanding storyline full of intrigue and mystery made the episode grab all my attention from the first minutes and kept the suspense until the end. You may have already known whether he did or not but you wouldn't be sure until the very end.

The fact that it was shot in a single sequence shot made the whole police process and interrogation even more immersive. And every scene transition felt so organic that I feel like no moment was wasted.

The performances of all the cast is very good, but I highlight Stephen Graham's performance, his look and body language in 2 specific scenes were splendid.

I'm in.

To think of creating single shot is one thing then to do it for an entire hour + 3 other episodes of approximately the runtime is insane feet. For that alone, the limited series should be praised. I don't think we realise how hard it is to make few minutes worth of single shot let alone an hour long. I see tons of hate for the series due to "poor" representation of the white people, saying that this was based on a real case of a black juvenile. Personally I see no harm in that as long as the crime isn't altered in anyway. I think the actor had done an incredible job and managed to bring us out of the racial view (if anyone had one to begin with). If I had to pin on a negative, a few bad acting was bound to happen when it comes to this type of making.