The four-part series from the streaming service has launched nationwide discussion about online radicalisation and violence against women and girls

Adolescence is a bona fide global hit; the four-part series amassed 24.3 million viewers in just four days, topping Netflix streaming charts across the globe.

The drama tells the chilling story of Jamie (a stunning debut from newcomer Owen Cooper), a 13-year-old who stabs a female classmate to death in a frenzied attack. The tragic incident sees police, parents and teachers try and understand his motivations – and dives into the deeply disturbing world of incel culture and widespread internet misogyny. Written by the widely praised British writer Jack Thorne in partnership with the actor Stephen Graham, who also stars as Jamie’s father, it’s of little surprise that Adolescence has proven so popular.

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Owen Cooper on set as Jamie, with Erin Doherty, who plays a psychologist

While the series is not based on any one particular true story, Adolescence was conceived following a spate of high-profile knife attacks in the UK, with many of the perpetrators being young boys.

“One of our aims was to ask, ‘What is happening to our young men these days, and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet and from social media?’” Stephen Graham told Netflix. “And the pressures that come from all of those things are as difficult for kids here as they are the world over.”

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The one-shot filming technique meant episodes were filmed a minimum of 10 times

Adolescence’s popularity may even have long-term ramifications; the series was discussed in parliament, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowing to do more to tackle violence against women and girls, and combating misogynistic influencers who use social media to spout their increasingly toxic views.

“It was far from just Andrew Tate – it was not just those big guns of the manosphere”

Thorne, however, hopes that the series provokes more radical action in targeting the manosphere. “It was far from just Andrew Tate. It was not those big guns of the manosphere,” he told the BBC “It was the smaller blogs and vlogs and the little bits, like people talking about a video game, but then explaining through that video game why women hate you. That was the stuff that I found most disturbing.”

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The drama features intense scenes

He continued: “Role models obviously can have a huge impact on people. But truthfully, we’ve got to change the culture that they’re consuming and the means by which our technology is facilitating this culture.”

With such interest in the series, Netflix has since revealed more about the making of Adolescence, allowing viewers to understand just how much work went into making this show so impactful. As widely publicised, each episode was filmed as one continuous shot, with no cuts or links. It’s fast becoming a signature technique of Stephen Barantini, who served as the director on Adolescence as well as previously filming one-shot film Boiling Point (also starring Stephen Graham).

Insiders at Netflix said on X (formerly known as Twitter) that each episode was intended to be shot 10 times, but in reality was shot several times more as some takes had to be abandoned or restarted due to external factors. Because the pressure was on for the cast to make sure they were word-perfect for each take, performers would initially rehearse for five minutes at a time, building up on each scene until they were doing full run-throughs. Of course, small mistakes or changes were improvised and ended up making the final cut.

“In the final version of episode three, Cooper yawns (understandable after such labour-intensive schedule) – to which Doherty’s Briony responds, ‘Am I boring you?’”: a spokesperson for Netflix wrote on X. “This back and forth, including Owen’s subsequent smirk and denial, feels so true to the characters that you’re convinced it’s completely planned.”

The one-shot filming technique also meant that the crew almost had to learn choreography to ensure camerawork could continue smoothly.

“During these rehearsals the cast would also work through the choreography, allowing the DOP to plan the positions of the camera through the whole take, as well as the movements of the crew,” a Netflix representative wrote. “Sometimes it was necessary for some of the crew to remain in shot – in these instances they were dressed in costume so that they could blend into the show to serve as extras in the shot.”

Of course, some scenes saw high-octane action, such as the door being rammed down in episode one, as well as paint being thrown on a van in episode four.

“[The pros department] created a special paint that was the same consistency and would stick to the van, but that could be jet washed off after each take,” Netflix wrote.

“They rammed through 12 doors in total! Then, they had a PVC door specialist on set to fit a new door each time.”