Movies

You Won’t Believe What Happens When a 13-Year-Old Boy Kills His Classmate

BBG News

The Netflix series, titled “Adolescence“, primarily explores the heartrending loss of adolescence. The story begins in a small northern English town where the police break into the room of Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), a 13-year-old boy, and take him into custody under suspicion that he has murdered his female classmate, Katie.

Over four gripping installments, I found myself plunged deep into the tumultuous life of the Miller family, as they’re unwillingly thrust into the complex web of the criminal justice system. The captivating show, filmed in a single, unbroken take that leaves you breathless, immerses viewers in the heart-pounding fray. It masterfully explores contemporary issues such as the perils of social media and the often-distorted notions of masculinity in our society.

Here’s what to know about Adolescence.

The central questions in Adolescence

At first, Jamie asserted his innocence, claiming he hadn’t committed any crime. However, Detective Inspector Bascombe (Ashley Walters) presented him with CCTV footage showing Jamie fatally stabbing Katie, thereby establishing that Jamie was indeed her killer. The investigation then shifted towards understanding the motive behind Jamie’s actions and locating the murder weapon. As police interrogated Jamie, they also delved into their social media exchanges to decipher the dynamics of their relationship.

What happens in Adolescence

A significant portion of the initial episode delves into the lengthy processes involved in joining the criminal justice system – interrogations, taking fingerprints, moving between different rooms via staircases. Despite its tediousness, viewers find themselves captivated and eager to discover the outcome for Jamie following his arrest.

In the second installment, we delve deeper into the progression of the investigation when Detective Inspector Bascombe, who happens to share a school with his son Adam (Jamie’s classmate), seeks information regarding the murder weapon. During this visit, Adam brings an important detail to his father’s attention – some derogatory Instagram emojis that Katie was directing towards Jamie. This discovery sparks Bascombe’s investigation into whether Jamie could have been a victim of cyberbullying. On a positive note for Bascombe, he finds this case serves as a bridge between him and Adam, helping them grow closer.

In the third installment, Erin Doherty portrays Briony Ariston, a character responsible for conducting a psychological evaluation on Jamie. During their conversation, Jamie discloses an attempt to ask Katie out following the dissemination of her topless photo among classmates through Snapchat, which was essentially an act of revenge porn. He admits he sought to comfort Katie, but claims she spurned his advances and subsequently sent him derogatory emojis. He alleges that she falsely labeled him as an “incel,” a term for men who are unable to find a romantic partner despite desiring one, referencing an online community of individuals who feel frustrated about their lack of sexual experiences.

The show suggests that Jamie killed Katie because she hurt his feelings.

What Adolescence says about incel culture

According to the emojis Adam’s schoolmate Bascombe used on Instagram, Adam thinks Katie might have been implying that Jamie was part of the incel community, a group of misogynistic individuals who identify as ‘involuntary celibate’ and bond over their shared frustration with women, often associated with men’s rights activists online.

Bascombe is stunned, exclaiming, “He’s 13! How can he be an involuntary celibate at 13?” 

Adam notes that another user claimed he would always remain an incel, implying he’d be a lifelong virgin, and other users seemed to concur with this assessment.

There are instances where individuals identified as incels (involuntary celibates) have resorted to violence. One such case is Alek Minassian, who killed ten pedestrians in Toronto back in 2018 when he drove a vehicle through a walkway. His actions were inspired by Elliot Rodger, who perpetrated a brutal attack in 2014 near UC Santa Barbara, leaving six dead and thirteen injured. Rodger also documented his resentment towards women who rejected his advances.

Adam clarifies that it’s common among his peers to claim that the majority of women are attracted to just a small percentage of men, highlighting the challenges young males face when developing feelings for female classmates. In today’s #MeToo era, men grapple with finding appropriate ways to interact with women, as society generally permits them freedom in selecting their dating partners—however, this doesn’t justify violence. Unlike previous generations, they have easy access to a vast amount of information, some of which may not be suitable for their age group via social media.

Director Philip Barantini, a father of a seven-year-old, expresses his wish for the show to foster greater understanding among viewers regarding the challenges faced by today’s youth. He elaborates in the press materials, “During my childhood, if you had a dispute with someone, it was resolved on the playground and forgotten about at home. However, social media has made that kind of resolution almost impossible now.

The remarkable effect of Adolescence’s one-shot approach

The film spans a period of 13 months, and it was filmed as a single, uninterrupted sequence, thereby intensifying the sense of drama throughout its duration.

Essentially, it implies that we’ll start recording on the camera and keep recording right up until the final minute of the hour, as stated by Barantini in the press documents.

During several weeks of preparations, Barantini and cinematographer Matt Lewis built small-scale replicas of the set and maneuvered tiny figures representing the actors. This allowed them to plan the camera movements precisely for each step throughout the filming process.

Owen Cooper, who was 14 years old and made his acting debut as Jamie in a movie, shared in the production notes that he thoroughly enjoyed the experience and believes he’ll always have a fondness for it; he even mentioned he’d be eager to take on another role like it again.

Besides other cast members, they mention that taking a single take method helped strengthen their relationships. Actress Doherty, portraying the psychologist, admitted this was her first one-shot experience, stating it made her and Cooper feel exposed, which in turn created a sense of unity as their shared apprehension bonded them.

How Adolescence ends

In the penultimate installment, we delve slightly past Jamie’s storyline and explore how his incarceration impacts his parents instead.

On my dad Eddie’s birthday, it wasn’t a day filled with joy as he woke up to discover his work van for the plumbing business had been damaged. Despite our attempts to lift his spirits during our trip to the store for cleanup supplies, the gloom hung heavy. However, a genuine smile graced his face when my mom (Christine Tremarco) shared with Lisa (Amelie Pease) their love story on the way, reminding us all of the strong bond they share.

However, Eddie’s birthday takes an unexpected turn for the worse when he receives a call from Jamie, who is currently in prison, during their ride home. Jamie wanted to reach out to wish his father a happy birthday and to inform him that he will be pleading guilty to the murder of Katie – a fact that viewers learn about for the first time through this call. In the last episode, Jamie was only heard as an unseen voice.

At home, the parents keep debating on ways they might’ve been more effective parents to avoid this predicament – a discussion they’ve had frequently since Jamie was taken away. Eddie constantly comforts his spouse by asserting that there wasn’t anything else they could have done, as they couldn’t possibly monitor him every single minute. The story concludes with both of them shedding tears.

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2025-03-13 23:06

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