Three people walking through school© Courtesy of Netflixr

TV fans 'staying up all night' to binge-watch 'brutal' new crime drama

Stephen Graham stars in the new Netflix series, Adolescence

Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
1 day ago

Viewers have wasted no time binge-watching Netflix's gripping new crime drama Adolescence since it arrived on the streaming platform on Thursday, with some staying up until the early hours to finish all four episodes. 

The new one-shot series opens with the police bursting into the home of 13-year-old Jamie Miller and arresting him for the murder of one of his female classmates, Katie, the night before. His family's life is turned upside down as detectives search for answers to the shocking tragedy. 

WATCH: Stephen Graham stars in Adolescence

Viewers were full of praise for the compelling yet harrowing series, with one person writing: "Stayed up all night to finish #Adolescence on Netflix. No show has haunted me like this one in a long time. Absolutely brilliant series that needs to be watched and discussed. Extremely well written and acted. Looks at toxic masculinity through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy. Each episode has been shot in a single take and in real-time. Highly recommended," while another said they stayed up until after 2am because they "just couldn't stop watching". 

Stephen Graham stars in the series
Stephen Graham stars in the series

Another viewer remarked: "#Adolescence: Stephen Graham, @AshleyWalters82 & Co. should just make all the tv! Bravo to everyone involved. Harrowing, Brutal, Brilliant."

Many fans praised the cast's performances, including newcomer Owen Cooper, who stars as Jamie. One viewer wrote: "Outstanding cast, writing, beautifully shot in real time. Makes it feel real. The veteran cast is on point, but the youngsters steal the show. Heartbreakingly sad seeing children living in an adult world. And reflective of today's issues."

© Netflix
Ashley Walters plays DI Bascombe

For those yet to tune into the drama, Stephen Graham (Boiling Point) stars as Jamie's father Eddie and Christine Tremarco (Waterloo Road) plays his wife Manda Miller. 

Meanwhile, Ashley Walters (Top Boy) plays Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe and Erin Doherty (The Crown) portrays Briony Ariston, the clinical psychologist assigned to Jamie's case. 

© Ben Blackall/Netflix
Erin Doherty plays Briony Ariston, while Owen Cooper stars as Jamie Miller

The series comes from Stephen and Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials), and all four episodes are directed by Philip Barantini, who was behind both the film and TV series Boiling Point, which Stephen starred in. 

Speaking about the inspiration behind the series at a BAFTA screening Q&A, Stephen told an audience the plot was influenced by real-life news stories. 

''I read an article in the paper about a young boy stabbing a young girl, and it just made me feel a bit cold," said the actor. 

© Netflix
Viewers praised the gripping series

''And then about three or four months later, there was a piece on the news, and it was a young boy, again, who stabbed a young girl. And they are young boys. They're not men.''

The father-of-two added: ''It really hurt my heart for many different reasons, but predominantly as a father, but also like, where are we in society for this to happen?''

Adolescence is available on Netflix. 

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