Adolescence is far more grown-up than its name might suggest.
The four-part series, starring Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters (Top Boy) and The Crown's Erin Doherty, tells the story of a 13 year old boy named Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who's yanked out of his home and arrested for the murder of a teenage girl he knows from school.
Netflix's latest crime drama reunites Graham with Boiling Point director Philip Barantini. And just like their previous work together, Adolescence also plays out in real-time, unfolding alongside the main characters as they search for answers.
From the family to the detectives investigating the murder, not to mention other people you might not expect, Adolescence follows them all as twists and turns take them to some very dark places.
Adolescence isn't an easy watch, not by any means, but if you are looking for a similar-style show, we've got you covered with some equally intense (and just as brilliant) recommendations below. Just don't bill us for your therapy after.
Boiling Point
Where better to start than Boiling Point? The other Philip Barantini series that filmed Stephen Graham in a very stressful environment, via one long continuous take. Except here, the show swaps out a local police station for the kitchen of an upmarket restaurant, which is arguably more harrowing, depending on how you look at it.
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Head chef Andy Jones is not having a great day, much like Eddie Miller in Adolescence, but the thrill of the show comes from watching him navigate this the best he can amidst flaming pans and boiling pots ready to combust at any second.
Just don't compare Boiling Point to The Bear. Yes, both shows are set in a very similar location, and both are led by stressed-out chefs on the brink of collapsing, but they're actually very different, and not just because one is British and one is American. Plus Boiling Point came first, if we're splitting hairs.
Toxic Town
On the face of it, Toxic Town might not seem that similar to Adolescence. Sure, they both centre working class families – but the former is about mothers rallying for justice for their children. The result is much more heartwarming than Adolescence, although that's not to say Toxic Town is always an easy watch either.
What also connects the pair is that both shows are penned by Jack Thorne, whose other previous TV drama work includes Kiri, The Virtues, and the This Is England trilogy.
So if you like Adolescence, Thorne's other new Netflix show will almost certainly be of interest too, even if they're quite different from each other in some respects.
Best Interests
Speaking of Jack Thorne's writing, another British show we'd recommend checking out after Adolescence is Best Interests, an earlier series by him which revolves around a very different kind of parental struggle.
The miniseries follows a married couple named Nicci (Sharon Horgan) and Andrew (Michael Sheen) whose child Marnie (Niamh Moriarty) suffers from a rare form of muscular dystrophy. After a chest infection brings her to hospital, doctors claim that it would be better to stop treatment and let her pass peacefully, but Nicci and Andrew disagree.
Together, the pair fight legal proceedings and ethical battles alike in a bid to keep their daughter alive. Like Adolescence, Best Interests is a sensitive study of the struggles that parents endure when things they can't control impact their family.
Criminal: UK
If you're hankering to spend more time in a police interrogation room without being interrogated yourself, Netflix's Criminal series will do you well, especially the British edition which currently consists of two short and easy to binge seasons.
The show is set entirely in said room, where a specialised interrogation unit of the Metropolitan Police interview various suspects, much like the cops do in Adolescence. Almost theatrical in its approach, Criminal is the kind of show you need to pay attention to at all times, because even the smallest gesture or movement might be key to uncovering the truth.
In case you need more convincing, the second series received two nominations at the 2021 British Academy Television Awards: one for Kunal Nayyar in the Best Supporting Actor category, and one for Sophie Okonedo as Best Supporting Actress. And when you're done with that, check out the other editions of Criminal set in Spain, Germany and France.
Glue
One of the elements that helps make Adolescence so intriguing is this idea that evil, for want of a better word, can be found in even the most mundane places. It's an idea scriptwriter Jack Thorne explored to chilling effect back in 2014 with Glue, an E4 drama where the body of a teenage boy is found underneath the wheels of a tractor in a remote, English village.
This tale of "ambition, hope, darkness and anarchy", as Channel 4 described it, conceals disturbing secrets in what looks like just another quaint countryside town. What are the teenagers who knew the boy hiding? And just how many people were involved in the horrors that led to his death?
Another fun and easy binge then, if you're not too depressed after finishing Adolescence.
The Virtues
Speaking of uplifting fare, The Virtues will also grip you like a vice, refusing to let go.
That's the harrowing effect of watching this Shane Meadows and Stephen Graham collaboration, where the latter plays Joseph, a recovering alcoholic who struggles to cope after his ex takes their son with her to Australia.
Did we mention The Virtues is a tough watch? Crucially though, it's also a vital one. Go in knowing as little as possible, but just trust us when we say that fans of Adolescence really will find a lot to enjoy here.
Ok, "enjoy" might not be the right word, but you get the idea.
Adolescence is available on Netflix now.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
