March 25, 2025, 9:10 am | Read time: 4 minutes
The new Netflix series “Adolescence” is currently causing a sensation. And it’s not just successful. Its style is also special.
When new exclusive films and series are released on streaming services every month, it is not always clear which of them will be successful. Of course, if well-known stars are involved or it’s the sequel to a big hit, high viewing figures are practically pre-programmed. But every now and then, there are surprises that no one had expected. Currently, Adolescence on Netflix is just such a case.
This Is What “Adolescence” on Netflix Is About
Adolescence was only released on Netflix on March 13, 2025, and is therefore still fairly new. With only four episodes, the series may seem brief, yet each installment packs a significant punch. It’s about the murder of a young girl that shakes up a small town.
In the course of the investigation, 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested as a suspect. This not only throws his family into crisis. He is confronted with hatred and mistrust at school and elsewhere, and his friends turn their backs on him. The longer the investigation goes on, the more unclear the case becomes, and the boundaries between guilt and innocence become increasingly blurred.
“Adolescence” Is an Unexpected Chart Success for Netflix
It was not necessarily foreseeable that Adolescence would become such a success for Netflix. The cast list may not feature globally renowned celebrities, yet Stephen Graham (known from Snatch) might ring a bell for audiences. Nor is it a famous franchise that would attract people just because of its name.
Nevertheless, the series is currently (as of March 25, 2025) at number 1 in the global Netflix series charts. Right at the start, 93 million hours were streamed, which equates to around 24.3 million views. This makes it by far the most-watched series on Netflix in the period under review.
Fans and Critics Are Enthusiastic
A significant portion of the Netflix audience has expressed high praise for Adolescence. On Rotten Tomatoes, no less than 99% of the 73 professional reviews received so far are positive — an overwhelming result. At the same time, 72 percent of all viewer ratings are good, which is also a strong result.
The Letterboxd platform shows a similar picture: the rating distribution of the 469 fans so far is very much in the direction of high results, with the majority actually awarding the full five stars. The consensus is, therefore, clear: Adolescence is definitely worth seeing.
According to many opinions, the hard-hitting content really gets to you. “Absolutely heartbreaking and devastating” is one comment on Letterboxd, for example. Another fan even says he “won’t be able to recover from it.” Additionally, the series has garnered acclaim for its compelling acting performances.
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What Makes “Adolescence” Stand Out
What also makes the series stand out is its staging. This distinctive approach is due to each episode being filmed in a single, uninterrupted take, known as a ‘one take’ or ‘one shot.’ This means that the entire episode is filmed and narrated in one continuous take without interruption and, therefore, without editing. Director Philip Barantini shouted “Action!” once on set, but the only “Cut!” came at the very end.
And as Variety found out in an interview with cinematographer Matthew Lewis, no tricks were used — neither on set nor in post-production. Indeed, it’s common for productions to employ invisible cuts in such ambitious filming techniques. This makes a sequence or an entire movie look like it was filmed in one go, but in reality, several individual shots took place, which were then seamlessly joined together. Yet, Adolescence stands out by eschewing this strategy altogether.
Adolescence is a Netflix original and can therefore only be streamed exclusively there. As a mini-series, its content is complete, so a continuation in the form of a second season is not expected for the time being.