Netflix’s Adolescence was told in one continuous shot and left viewers to fill in the gaps with many questioning the ultimate fate of Jamie Miller
Netflix’s Adolescence was told in one continuous shot and left viewers to fill in the gaps with many questioning the ultimate fate of Jamie Miller
Adolescence is the latest hit on Netflix, with critics praising it as some of the finest television in years. The gripping four-part crime drama centres around Jamie Miller (portrayed by Owen Cooper), a 13 year old lad who finds himself arrested for the suspected murder of Katie, a classmate.
As he navigates the criminal justice system, viewers are taken from a distressing experience at the local nick to an intense chat with his psychologist.
The show’s unique storytelling approach was executed using a one-shot format, which meant no cuts or breaks throughout filming. The cast and crew prepared with a week of rehearsals before shooting two takes of a demanding, hour-long sequence.
Writer Jack Thorne shared insights with 5Live about how this method of filming led to viewers piecing together the story themselves due to the limitations in narrative scope.
A significant portion of Jamie’s ordeal within the legal framework, including what ultimately becomes of him, is deliberately omitted from the series. Thorne opened up about his rationale behind this choice.
Discussing the one-shot sequence and its effects, he remarked: “It forces the camera to do something and it also forces the pen to do something.
“As a writer you have to think about corridors, you have to think about staircases, you have to think about all of those technical things.
“You also can’t tell all the story. So you are telling an incomplete story, because there is only so much you can see in an hour.
“So Jamie’s legal process, anything that the family is doing in terms of mourning the loss of Katie – any of these things you can’t cut to.
“And so you are sort of stuck in something and that forces you to be partial, and it forces you to be incomplete.
“I think that causes the audience to lean forward because they know they are not going to get all of the story. They have got to work.”
The series had to be meticulously scripted to ensure precision, yet there were instances when the actors slightly strayed from their lines.
In the third episode, featuring Jamie with his psychologist Briony (played by Erin Doherty), an unscripted moment unfolds as Jamie yawns, prompting Briony to query: “Am I boring you?”.
Star Owen recounted the scene, noting how he naturally smiled at her improvised line, a moment that wasn’t part of the original script.
Adolescence is streaming on Netflix