Adolescence is ravishing in conception and daring in execution. It compels us to think about the quality of our lives, as a 13-year-old boy stands accused of murdering a female classmate.
Beyond Juvenile Crime: The Real Question for Parents
Beyond the question of juvenile crime, there lies a far more crucial question: do parents really know their children well, even if they are attentive and dutiful — attending all PTA meetings, playing football with their kids, having regular heart-to-heart conversations?
In fact, the last thing the murder-accused boy’s father reprimands himself for is not knowing enough about his son. But then, what is enough?
A Bold Start
Adolescence creeps into the innermost recesses of the parent-child relationship with visceral wisdom. The first episode, where the cops break into the Millers’ residence to arrest 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper, in his startling debut), had me watching open-mouthed. The entire sequence of arrest, travel to the police station, preparation for questioning, and interrogation is done in one single unbroken, tense shot.
Very impressive! Director Philip Barantini is no stranger to the one-shot style of filmmaking. His earlier film Boiling Point (which starred Stephen Graham, who plays Jamie’s father in Adolescence) was also crafted as a one-shot film.
The One-Shot Magic Continues
The audacious technique works wonderfully in Episodes 1 and 2. In Episode 2, the investigating officers Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) and Misha Frank (Faye Marsay) visit Jamie’s school to gather evidence. The episode weaves in and out of the school corridors with celerity and urgency.
However, it doesn’t quite capture the sweaty anxiety of the opening episode. The students come across more as branded brats rather than stranded adolescents.
The best performance in Episode 2 comes from Jo Hartley as an eager-to-please teacher, so anxious to help the investigators that it becomes heartbreaking.
Strangely, the female investigator Misha is given far less prominence than the male Luke. Even when it’s suggested that she has a traumatic relationship with schools, the show offers no explanation beyond a cursory mention.
Psychological Interrogation
The one-shot treatment also works well in Episode 3, where Jamie is quizzed by a child psychologist (Erin Doherty). The interface is filled with ominous undercurrents.
However, the psychologist asking a 13-year-old whether he has ‘touched’ women seems completely out of line. If the show aims to address online bullying, then this line of questioning feels unnecessarily invasive and misaligned.
A Missed Opportunity For Emotional Intimacy
The one-shot technique falters in Episode 4, where emotional intimacy was needed as Jamie’s family comes to terms with his crime. The helter-skelter journey of the camera becomes uncomfortable, especially when, while travelling by car, Eddie, his wife, and daughter receive a call from Jamie in prison saying he is changing his non-guilty plea to guilty.
Even if this happened the way it’s portrayed, Jamie and his father should have faced one another for this all-conclusive moment.
That said, Adolescence has enough going on to be considered a landmark achievement in the crime-investigation genre. And actor-co-writer Stephen Graham’s breakdown at the end will remain with us for all times to come.
