Adolescência

What an amazing performance from a newcomer. Single, continuous shots, and he hold his own for 50+ minutes an episode. Owen Cooper is a prodigy.

Owen Cooper is the breakout star of Netflix's "Adolescence," a gripping drama featuring Stephen Graham. This 15-year-old from Manchester makes his on-screen debut as Jamie Miller, a young boy accused of a shocking crime. His performance is drawing considerable attention, with many predicting a bright future for the young actor. The series delves into the intense turmoil faced by Jamie and his family, and Cooper's portrayal captures the complexities of a teenager caught in a harrowing situation. He has gone from a normal school boy, to the lead in a high profile netflix drama.

All the characters feel so real, and Stephen Graham as Jamie's dad is just on another level. He brings so much emotion that really hits you. The camerawork is also incredibly impressive like pulling off a single-shot style for each hour-long episode must have been so difficult, but they really nailed it.

The only thing is the plot.... something feels a little incomplete. It's not bad, but there's a sense that a piece is missing.

What can be said about Adolescence that hasn't already been said? Adolescence is about how a family's life is turned upside down when their 13yr old son is arrested for murdering a classmate. The first thing I need to bring up is just how cool they shot this show, it had to be extremely hard for everyone involved. What they did was shoot every single episode in one long camera shot. No editing or going from one person to another. It was crazy and had to incredibly tough. It killed at the Emmy's last night by winning a bunch of awards, six to exact. It also has a ridiculous 98% on Rotten Tomatoes too. Bottom line is Adolescence is a powerful and outstanding series.

Adolescence is a bold and ambitious miniseries that tries something different with how it's filmed. The entire show is shot in one long, continuous take, which creates a tense and immersive feeling, pulling viewers into the emotional struggles of the characters.

The standout performance comes from Owen Cooper, who plays Jamie-a 13-year-old accused of murder. His acting is powerful and emotional, bringing some much-needed depth to a character we don't learn much about. Stephen Graham also gives a strong performance, adding weight to the scenes he's in, although they both do not appear in every episode.

However, despite how impressive it looks, the show has some clear problems. The characters aren't fully developed, and the story doesn't move forward in a satisfying way. We don't get much insight into Jamie's thoughts or reasons behind his actions, which makes it hard to connect with him. Key parts of the plot, like what happens to the murder weapon or how the investigation unfolds, are left hanging.

The single-take filming style, while interesting, also leads to some scenes dragging on too long, making the pacing feel slow. The show tries to explore big issues like teenage trauma, social media pressure, and family problems-but it doesn't go deep enough, leaving its message unclear.

All in all, Adolescence is visually impressive and emotionally intense, especially for those who enjoy unique storytelling. But if you prefer a strong plot and fully developed characters, you might come away feeling let down.

Performances: 9 points, story: 7 points.

There is so much about this series. The actors - I would have to remind myself that that is what they were - actors. Every one of them so genuine and convincing in their roles. The scenes from the police station, a type of environment I am acquainted with, outstanding how they captured the different personas and the roles they had. How they managed to get the youngsters play like that is beyond me. The filming, every epiode in one shot. How did no one ever cast a glance at the camera? The maneuvering of the cast around the scenes, popping up when supposed to. Again, I forget I was watching tv, I thought I was actually there.

There was no real closure to any of the episodes. Just gut-wrenching hurt. No winners. And perhaps did it not matter that we never witnessed the trial. It's besides the point.

The last episode was the hardest to watch. I just wanted it to end, the quiet and unrelenting pain of the family.

Of course there is the deeper meaning of the series, raising of children, especially in this day and age, internet, confusion, being on the outside and feeling frustration and anger against something you don't even know what is. I am pretty sure this series is more of an eye-opener to parents than to their children, who live in this reality.

I gave this a 10/10 mostly because of the cast and the filming.