I have mixed feelings about Adolescence. It was exceptionally scripted and technically breathtaking. But I worry about the response to it. I literally wrote the book [a book] about the way adult panics about youth often result in responses that don't serve young people themselves. i was begging our news desk, as we commissioned the millionth article about the series, to actually show it to a bunch of teens and ask them what they thought. As a culture we're very good at worrying about young people and very bad at listening to what they tell us are their own concerns.
Also, the young people I work with for my reporting on tech and knife crime have pretty varied and nuanced views on online misogynists, plenty of them doing take Tate etc that seriously, or like him for fitness tips but not his stuff on women. The toxic influencers that they talk about are the kids posting pics of themselves with knifes, it's a for more localised threat. But of course more broadly the influence of tech on kids' attitudes to sex and gender and sexuality is terrifying and corrosive - I guess I just want us to appreciate Adolescence as a piece of art rather than documentary.
Amazing limited series. I've been reading articles for the past few years about how young kids, especially boys, are in trouble, and the part the internet plays in that scenario. I think making art that addresses these concerns is essential. So many people I know have never bothered to read anything about what young kids are going through, and how it's different from what previous generations had to cope with. But while they may not read a book or article, watching something like this can expose them to the situation in a way that will hopefully lead to deeper research and eventually take steps leading to widespread changes.
The young actor was phenomenal. His performance reminded me of watching Empire of the Sun when it first came out. My friend and I turned to each other during the credits and said that the young actor from that movie (Christian Bale) would have a promising career if he wanted. I feel the same way about Owen Cooper, especially his performance in the third episode. It was chilling. All the other actors are excellent as well. And it was fascinating to watch the behind-the-scenes making-of featurette.
Like my overstuffed to-be-read pile, my to-be-watched pile currently includes over 300 new-ish movies or series. I'll never get to them all. Since I don't have kids, I might have passed by Adolescence, which would have gotten buried in my to-be-watched list. Thanks for boosting it up to the top of my list.
We found Adolescence very powerful, especially the third episode with the boy and the psychologist. The young boy's phenomenal. The lead cop was also excellent - really every actor did a superb job. For the most part, the single take approach worked to involve me, but a lot of times I was distracted by watching the clever camera passing instead of the action (which was fascinating and beautifully executed), and there were several up and down the stairs shots where I so wished he'd just cut to the next scene. Minor annoyances, though, compared to the power of the show as a whole.
I'm going to add a recommendation. Small Things Like These is a quiet, beautiful, devastating masterpiece. It should have been up for an Oscar and since it's possibly the best performance of Cillian Murphy's remarkable career, he should have been up for one, if not taken it home. It was phenomenal. Cillian as William in Small Things Like These is just shattering in this very quiet way. This sweet, kind, angry man who’s asked to be A GOOD GERMAN and toe the line is holding so much emotion within, but it’s leaking out all over his face. He creates so much empathy for the character, such inner tension. It’s emotionally wrenching. And the film is GORGEOUS. Half the shots in this film can be freeze framed and hung on the wall. If Hopper were an Irish cinematographer, this would be his movie. The palette is warmer than Hopper, but the blending of architecture and isolated figures is visually and emotionally Hopperesque. It's such an understated movie but so powerful.
There's a short but interesting vid of Owen Cooper's audition. He's good from the first, but there's a great contrast between an initial reading of one of the explosive bits and the actual scene. I thought it was interesting that they kept in the character's considering himself "ugly" when he's really quite lovely. First I thought weird, then that his whole view of himself was shaped by others - first by not being enough of an athlete for his father, and then by the girls taunting him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRlnzL5jxts
We see this in our boys all the time - thinking they're not attractive when they're gorgeous and everyone around them is always saying so. But I was a teacher - a long time ago! - and I know that's the norm for that age. Excruciating self-criticism. It's one of the things all we adults have to work on.
I really do believe they pitched Adolescence perfectly. It's horrifying and it needs to be.
It's been three years since Open Your Eyes was published – my first book, and based around this very subject – and I find it incredible it's taken so long for the collective public mind to understand how much of a problem toxic masculinity is. (Just in case anyone wants to wilfully misunderstand, please note toxic masculinity is very different from masculinity.)
Although I fear many parents will stick their heads in the sand while muttering, 'not my son' or something similar.
Hey Heather! I don't know how anyone was able to ignore patriarchy. It's always loomed large and toxic, and feminists have always confronted it head on. Warren Farrell was whining the same tired myth of "female privilege" back in 1993 that the manosphere whines about now. But the Internet has metastasized the worst imaginings of men and the ease in which boys are now able to access that poison is stupefying.
I think ADOLESCENCE will be an amazingly effective educational tool. I'm thrilled that Keir Starmer is supporting teaching the series in schools, right where it needs to be.
I have mixed feelings about Adolescence. It was exceptionally scripted and technically breathtaking. But I worry about the response to it. I literally wrote the book [a book] about the way adult panics about youth often result in responses that don't serve young people themselves. i was begging our news desk, as we commissioned the millionth article about the series, to actually show it to a bunch of teens and ask them what they thought. As a culture we're very good at worrying about young people and very bad at listening to what they tell us are their own concerns.
Also, the young people I work with for my reporting on tech and knife crime have pretty varied and nuanced views on online misogynists, plenty of them doing take Tate etc that seriously, or like him for fitness tips but not his stuff on women. The toxic influencers that they talk about are the kids posting pics of themselves with knifes, it's a for more localised threat. But of course more broadly the influence of tech on kids' attitudes to sex and gender and sexuality is terrifying and corrosive - I guess I just want us to appreciate Adolescence as a piece of art rather than documentary.
Agree 100% and so glad you liked it.
Amazing limited series. I've been reading articles for the past few years about how young kids, especially boys, are in trouble, and the part the internet plays in that scenario. I think making art that addresses these concerns is essential. So many people I know have never bothered to read anything about what young kids are going through, and how it's different from what previous generations had to cope with. But while they may not read a book or article, watching something like this can expose them to the situation in a way that will hopefully lead to deeper research and eventually take steps leading to widespread changes.
The young actor was phenomenal. His performance reminded me of watching Empire of the Sun when it first came out. My friend and I turned to each other during the credits and said that the young actor from that movie (Christian Bale) would have a promising career if he wanted. I feel the same way about Owen Cooper, especially his performance in the third episode. It was chilling. All the other actors are excellent as well. And it was fascinating to watch the behind-the-scenes making-of featurette.
Like my overstuffed to-be-read pile, my to-be-watched pile currently includes over 300 new-ish movies or series. I'll never get to them all. Since I don't have kids, I might have passed by Adolescence, which would have gotten buried in my to-be-watched list. Thanks for boosting it up to the top of my list.
I'm so happy that I was able to nudge you to see it! As you found out, it's relevant for just about everyone. And such a master class for writers.
Apropos of nothing except something to make you laugh instead of cry. Owl Kitty strikes again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tc6h2RGGWM
We found Adolescence very powerful, especially the third episode with the boy and the psychologist. The young boy's phenomenal. The lead cop was also excellent - really every actor did a superb job. For the most part, the single take approach worked to involve me, but a lot of times I was distracted by watching the clever camera passing instead of the action (which was fascinating and beautifully executed), and there were several up and down the stairs shots where I so wished he'd just cut to the next scene. Minor annoyances, though, compared to the power of the show as a whole.
I'm going to add a recommendation. Small Things Like These is a quiet, beautiful, devastating masterpiece. It should have been up for an Oscar and since it's possibly the best performance of Cillian Murphy's remarkable career, he should have been up for one, if not taken it home. It was phenomenal. Cillian as William in Small Things Like These is just shattering in this very quiet way. This sweet, kind, angry man who’s asked to be A GOOD GERMAN and toe the line is holding so much emotion within, but it’s leaking out all over his face. He creates so much empathy for the character, such inner tension. It’s emotionally wrenching. And the film is GORGEOUS. Half the shots in this film can be freeze framed and hung on the wall. If Hopper were an Irish cinematographer, this would be his movie. The palette is warmer than Hopper, but the blending of architecture and isolated figures is visually and emotionally Hopperesque. It's such an understated movie but so powerful.
Small Things Like These! I knew you had mentioned it and then I forgot the title. Now it's in my actual WATCH THESE file. Thank you!
Watching Owen Cooper in Adolescence was like seeing Timothée Chalamet for the first time.
There's a short but interesting vid of Owen Cooper's audition. He's good from the first, but there's a great contrast between an initial reading of one of the explosive bits and the actual scene. I thought it was interesting that they kept in the character's considering himself "ugly" when he's really quite lovely. First I thought weird, then that his whole view of himself was shaped by others - first by not being enough of an athlete for his father, and then by the girls taunting him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRlnzL5jxts
We see this in our boys all the time - thinking they're not attractive when they're gorgeous and everyone around them is always saying so. But I was a teacher - a long time ago! - and I know that's the norm for that age. Excruciating self-criticism. It's one of the things all we adults have to work on.
I really do believe they pitched Adolescence perfectly. It's horrifying and it needs to be.
It's been three years since Open Your Eyes was published – my first book, and based around this very subject – and I find it incredible it's taken so long for the collective public mind to understand how much of a problem toxic masculinity is. (Just in case anyone wants to wilfully misunderstand, please note toxic masculinity is very different from masculinity.)
Although I fear many parents will stick their heads in the sand while muttering, 'not my son' or something similar.
Hey Heather! I don't know how anyone was able to ignore patriarchy. It's always loomed large and toxic, and feminists have always confronted it head on. Warren Farrell was whining the same tired myth of "female privilege" back in 1993 that the manosphere whines about now. But the Internet has metastasized the worst imaginings of men and the ease in which boys are now able to access that poison is stupefying.
I think ADOLESCENCE will be an amazingly effective educational tool. I'm thrilled that Keir Starmer is supporting teaching the series in schools, right where it needs to be.