📺 Watched Adolescence.

This 4-part drama is somewhat sweeping the world by storm, at least the small part of the world I inhabit. It’s a very moving, powerful and relevant series that follows what happened after a (fictional) 13 year old boy is accused of committing murder.

The acting is quite incredible, especially considering that this is the actor portraying the boy concerned, Owen Cooper’s first acting role. That is so astonishing I almost can’t believe it’s true.

Each episode has been shot in real-time, all essentially done in the same shot. We see what happens to the characters in real-time, learn what they learn, perhaps feel something of what they would feel. This means that the episodes tend to be situated in a single area; in one case almost a single room. This takes nothing away from their gripping, compulsive nature.

I don’t have the knowledge to confirm, but it comes across as a pretty realistic depiction of the real-life processes that would be involved. And, harrowingly, importantly, a commentary on some of the aspects of modern society - especially contemporary online culture - that can lead to the type of tragic events concerned that we should all take something away from.