Is Adolescence a true story? Inspiration for Netflix show, explained

Netflix loves nothing more than freaking us out with a semi-true crime story, doesn’t it? Its latest offering, Adolescence, it particularly unsettling. The unnerving tale follows Jamie, a 13-year-old boy who is accused of murdering one of his classmates. The series is formed of four hour-long episodes each filmed in one long continuous shot.

As the Netflix description reads, “The gripping story unfolds in real time as the main characters — from the central family to the detectives investigating the crime — search for answers in the wake of a shocking tragedy. Who is actually responsible? Why did it happen? Could it have been prevented?”

The show was co-created by Joy writer Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, who also stars as Eddie, Jamie’s father. Newcomer Owen Cooper plays Jamie. “He just absolutely blew me away,” director Philip Barantini said to Variety. “Actors train for years and years and still can’t really master what Owen has mastered, which is basically just being in the moment and listening and being truthful.” Ashley Walters (Top Boy) plays Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe, while The Crown’s Erin Doherty stars as Briony, a clinical psychologist.

Many viewers of the show will leave wondering: is Adolescence based on a true story?

Is Adolescence based on a true story?

Not exactly — but it was inspired by a concerning cultural shift in the UK that has taken place over the last few years.

“There was an incident where a young boy [allegedly] stabbed a girl,” Graham said to Netflix’s Tudum. “It shocked me. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What’s the inciting incident here?’ And then it happened again, and it happened again, and it happened again. I really just wanted to shine a light on it, and ask, ‘Why is this happening today? What’s going on? How have we come to this?’ ”