Leading for total wins in its category, the Netflix limited series “Adolescence” won eight Emmy Awards at the ceremony held Sept. 14. The fictional crime series has quickly risen in popularity with its gritty acting, risky technical elements, and compelling and suspenseful plot.
Set in Yorkshire, England, the four-part series follows the trial of 13-year-old Jamie Miller arrested for the murder of Katie Leonard, a former schoolmate. The series spans over the 13 month trial, focusing on four important turning points: Jamie’s arrest, his interrogation process, his psychologist appointment, and his final plea. Each episode follows various different ensembles of actors, ranging from detectives, Jamie’s family, and his schoolmates.
Owen Cooper, the actor playing Jamie Miller, made history by breaking the record for the youngest person to win for the chosen category of Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series. Only 15 years of age, Cooper delivered a humble speech, thanking his fellow actors as well as the entire crew of the production. Despite his age, Cooper did a great job at grounding and engaging himself in such a challenging acting role, having a wide range of emotions and extremes. Although only winning for supporting actor, Cooper was the poster child of the production, marketed the most out of all of the other actors.
Besides Cooper’s performance, there were some other notable wins for the “Adolescence” team. Stephen Graham took on the role of Eddie Miller, Jamie’s Dad. Graham poured his heart out whenever on screen, delivering an especially emotional performance in Episode 4. Graham received the award of Best Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series as Jamie’s dad. Another notable performance came from Erin Doherty, who played Jamie’s psychologist. Doherty only appeared in episode three, implementing a crucial role in the show’s pacing. The actress also received an Emmy, winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology series. The series production team received the coveted general title of Best Limited or Anthology Series, beating out other Netflix competitors like “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and “Black Mirror” in its category.
Besides its creative storyline, “Adolescence” stands out from other shows because of its outside-the-box technical elements. Its signature “one shot” episodes immerse viewers into the show, adding them as a witness to the case and throwing them into the madness of each episode. The idea was significantly challenging to film considering that the episodes range from 50 minutes to an hour in length, including characters changing set locations, using cars, and incorporating large ensemble moments.
Though technically impressive, to some viewers, this “one-shot” technique also took away some from the enjoyment of the watching experience, slowing down intense moments. For example, two of the scenes shot in cars felt slow due to a lack of eventfulness and minimal camera motion extending the already egregious run time. However, for the most part, the acting of each scene was able to counteract and defeat this fatigue for the most part, still compelling viewers to what is happening.
Although the public has many mixed opinions on the technical aspects of “Adolescence,” the true-crime-adjacent series is worth watching for anyone in Netflix’s audience. Its gripping story and modern themes of cyberbullying and internet safety resonate with both younger generations, and older audiences.
