The latest show to make waves is Netflix’s Adolescence, a chilling drama about a 13-year-old boy, Jamie, accused of killing his female classmate, Katie. Everybody is raving about the four-part limited series, but did you know it was inspired by a true story?

The show follows Jamie as he deals with the repercussions of his crime and his session with a psychologist. His actions weigh heavily on his classmates, explores incel culture and asks the question: how much responsibility should parents bear when raising their kids?

Adolescence has hit a 98 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (a critic aggregator), with one critic noting that it left them with a feeling of “subtle devastation” they found “difficult to shake”.

Technically, Adolescence is a marvel — each one-hour episode is comprised of just one shot, but it’s the true story and themes behind the story that deserve more attention.
Adolescence is dark and twisted. (Image: Netflix)

Is Netflix’s Adolescence based on a true story?

Adolescence’s series co-creator Stephen Graham told Tudum he was inspired by the rise in knife-based violence in everyday life.

“There was an incident where a young boy [allegedly] stabbed a girl,” he said.

“It shocked me. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What’s the inciting incident here? And then it happened again, and it happened again, and it happened again. I really just wanted to shine a light on it, and ask, ‘Why is this happening today? What’s going on? How have we come to this?’”

Director Philip Barantini confirmed that it wasn’t based on one specific murder incident, but a broader issue within the UK.

“In the UK, there’s a real problem with knife crime, certainly in the younger generation. There have been a series of young boys who were killing young girls with knives, and it was really upsetting,” he told The Wrap.

“That was the seed that we wanted to explore, and send a bit of a message and maybe spark a bit of conversation.”
There are four episodes of this limited series. (Image: Netflix)

Incel culture also served as a basis for the show, after a female colleague encouraged writer Jack Thorne to research the cooked “involuntary celibate” online subculture.

“I could understand what would attract Jamie to these ideas. That idea of there is a reason why you aren’t liked. There is a reason why you find it very difficult to talk to women. There’s a reason why you feel isolated from your parents. There’s a reason why you’re struggling academically. If you can put all these things in an argument that makes sense, that’s really, really dangerous,” Thorne told The Wrap.

“That’s the thing that I found most terrifying. It feels like this is a crisis moment where we need to start talking about it. We need to start finding solutions to it.”
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate were arrested in 2022 and charged with human trafficking in Romania. Andrew Tate was also accused of rape. (Photo by Alon Skuy/Getty Images)
In another interview, Thorne revealed that problematic influencer Andrew Tate was an influence for him when approaching the creation of the series. While he admits he wasn’t the only inspiration behind the poignant show, there’s no denying Tate’s influence on perpetuation of misogynistic culture amongst young boys and men.

“The show is not an anti-Andrew Tate thing,” Thorne said, per the The Sydney Morning Herald.

“The videos the kids are watching are a lot darker than Andrew Tate, and the people giving out their advice are a lot more dangerous than he is. It’s terrifying.

“I’ve got an eight-year-old kid and it made me want to put him in a box and keep him there for the next 10 years.”

Who is in the cast of Adolescence?

The cast of Adolescence is fantastic, and it’s lead by Owen Cooper, who plays Jamie Miller. Along with Owen, there are great performances from Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Christine Termarco, Amelie Pease and Erin Doherty.

Audiences have been raving about the show. (Image: Netflix)

Will there be an Adolescence Season 2?

It’s unlikely there will be a season two of Adolescence, as it was billed as a limited series. However, Netflix occasionally brings back a second season of a limited series if it’s popular enough.

Graham and Thorne had previously told Tudum that they wrapped the show up where they originally envisioned it.

“We knew that we wanted to end it in that room. We wanted the journey to finish where it began,” Graham explained. “This is where the person who Jamie became was created.”

Is there a trailer for Adolescence?

Yes! The whole series is already available to binge on Netflix, but if you want a lil’ taste, you can watch the trailer below.