Last year the Netflix hit “Baby Reindeer” ran through its limited series competition at the Emmys. Now the streamer has another awards juggernaut in the psychological drama “Adolescence.”
A four-part mini-series about a 13-year-old boy (Owen Cooper) accused of killing a classmate, “Adolescence” won eight of the 13 awards it was nominated for, including best limited series, actor (Stephen Graham), supporting actor (Cooper), supporting actress (Erin Doherty), directing (Philip Barantini) and writing (Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham).
“If you’re listening, you’re focusing, you just step out of your comfort zone a little bit, who cares if you get embarrassed?” Cooper, who at 15 became the youngest winner ever in his category, said in his acceptance speech. “Anything can be possible.”
The series, about a boy named Jamie who has been radicalized by misogynistic ideas online, was a surprise hit after its release in March, becoming the most-watched show on Netflix in dozens of countries. It generated conversations about the consequences of young men and boys viewing harmful content online and inspired debate about whether governments should restrict children’s access to smartphones.
“It awakens us to a reality that is clear to anyone paying attention: Many of our boys are not all right, and it is up to those of us who love them to do something about it,” Esau McCaulley wrote in a guest essay for The New York Times.
The onscreen bond between Graham, who played Jamie’s father, and Cooper was a highlight for critics, as was the series’s third episode, in which Doherty’s psychologist interviews Jamie. The show’s four episodes were each shot as single continuous scenes.
“Before every take, I just thought, ‘I’m never, ever going to be able to do this again, so I’m just going to put my all into it,’” Cooper told The Times in April.
The series also garnered praise for its nuanced performances and for its “sense of heft and verisimilitude,” Margaret Lyons, a Times TV critic, wrote.
“‘Adolescence’ is not agony for agony’s sake,” she wrote. “It uses its pain and shock as a side door into interesting questions and social critiques. It’s about a teen, but its ideas are adult.”
Sarah Bahr writes about culture and style for The Times.
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