True events that inspired Netflix's latest hit, 'Adolescence'
What's the story
The Netflix miniseries Adolescence, which has stormed the streaming platform, is inspired by the real-life problem of knife crime among youth in the United Kingdom.
The show, released on March 13, centers around a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of his classmate.
Its unique storytelling is accomplished through four episodes, each filmed in one continuous take.
Here's what we know about its real-life inspiration.
Inspiration
'Adolescence' creators were inspired by real-life knife crimes
Stephen Graham, the lead actor and co-creator of Adolescence, was inspired to create the series after reading a newspaper article about a boy who had stabbed a girl.
Graham shared how he felt about the incident, saying it made him "feel a bit cold."
"I'd read an article in the paper about a young boy stabbing a young girl. It made me feel a bit cold," Graham told The Wrap.
Series exploration
'Series of young boys were killing young girls in UK'
The series delves into the rising issue of knife crime among youths in the UK.
"In the UK, there's a real problem with knife crime, certainly in the younger generation," director Philip Barantini said.
"There have been a series of young boys who were killing young girls with knives, and it was really upsetting. That was the seed that we wanted to explore, and send a bit of a message and maybe spark a bit of a conversation."
Statistics
Alarming rise in knife crimes in the UK
So, how disturbing has been this trend of knife-related offenses among youth in the UK?
Offenses involving a sharp instrument have surged in England, with approximately 50,500 offenses recorded in the year ending March 2024, as opposed to 27,000 between 2012 and 2013.
According to the Ministry of Justice data, 17.3% of the almost 18,500 knife crime offenders in the year ending March 2023 were juveniles aged 10-17.
Title significance
'Adolescence' title reflects young offenders
Graham elaborated that the title Adolescence was selected to emphasize the youthfulness of those committing knife crimes.
"There were certain incidents that really stuck out where young boys - and they are young boys, they're not men, their brains aren't fully formed yet, hence the title - were killing young girls," he stated.
The title is a jarring reminder of the age of these offenders.
Filming technique
'Adolescence' takes an immersive approach to storytelling
Adolescence employs a unique filming technique where each episode is shot in a single take.
"I wanted the audience to go on an immersive journey that unfolds in real time just as it's unfolding for the actors in real time," Barantini explained.
The approach creates tension and forces the perspective on the audience so that they can't look away even if they're anxious/awkward.
The limited series is rated U/A 16+ on Netflix.