What is so good about Adolescence that makes parents think?

Adolescence is a top-rated Netflix series. Adolescence follows the arrest of a 13-year-old boy for the murder of a female classmate. The film delves into the thorny territory of how society has socialized teenage boys and men to treat the women in their lives as inferior. Over time, this mindset has led to unfortunate consequences.

While it's easy to dismiss male violence against women as atrocious, Adolescence connects the dots between the global dominance of social media and the growing normalization of misogyny, demonstrating that children like Jamie, the film's protagonist (played by Owen Cooper), are easily exposed to dangerous, even deadly messages about their role in society. If you haven't seen the film, or just want a quick primer, here's everything you need to know about Adolescence .

Main content of Adolescence

Adolescence is a dark warning about the potential consequences of incel culture and the radicalisation of young men online. In this Netflix film, a 13-year-old boy named Jamie Miller is arrested on suspicion of murder and is shown CCTV footage of him stabbing a female classmate named Katie Leonard to death. The film follows Jamie and his family from the police interrogation room to the school he and his victim attended and the juvenile psychiatric hospital where the killer later awaits trial. The final episode jumps forward a year to see Jamie preparing to plead guilty while his family tries to get back to normal.

Main cast in Adolescence

Owen Cooper, who plays Jamie, is a newcomer to the film industry. At just 15 years old, he already has a number of upcoming projects listed on IMDb, including playing a young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell's 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights.

Stephen Graham, co-creator of Adolescence , who plays Jamie's father Eddie, has been nominated for eight BAFTAs. He is perhaps best known for his roles in Peaky Blinders, Boiling Point and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Christine Tremarco, who plays Owen's mother Manda, has starred in British television series including Safe House, Little Boy Blue, Tin Star and Wolfe.

Is Adolescence based on a true story?

While Adolescence's story isn't directly inspired by real life, the ongoing issue of gender-based violence in the UK and elsewhere certainly served as inspiration for Graham and co-writer Jack Thorne.

The beginning of the story is really shocking to the audience. What is happening in society when a boy stabs a girl to death? What is the trigger here?' Why is this happening today? What is happening? Why are we in this situation? These are the questions that make the audience very curious when watching Adolescence.

Adolescence has 4 episodes and you can watch the whole series on Netflix if you have an account.

Kareem Winters

Update 15 September 2025