Adolescence: Release date and news for Stephen Graham Netflix drama

Adolescence has been directed by Boiling Point's Philip Barantini, and episode has been shot in just one take – meaning we're in for something truly innovative.

Also starring in the Netflix series are Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco and newcomer Owen Cooper. But when can viewers expect it to arrive on the streamer?

Read on for everything you need to know about Adolescence on Netflix.

When will Adolescence be released on Netflix?

All four episodes of Adolescence will be released on Netflix on Thursday 13th March 2025.

The series was first announced on 14th March 2024, meaning it is arriving on screens almost exactly a year later.

What is Adolescence about?

The synopsis for Adolescence says that it "tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside down when 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school".

The series comes from Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne (Joy), with the former having come up with the concept.

"The idea came as – over the past 10 years or so – we’ve seen an epidemic of knife crime amongst young lads, up and down the country," Graham said. "And for me, there were certain instances that really stuck out where young boys – and they are young boys, you know, they're not men – were killing young girls.

"When I mentioned it to Phil, it just really hit me hard. I just thought, 'Why? What's going on? What's happening? Why is this the case?'

"What's going on with our society as a whole, as a collective, and without being disrespectful, when these things are on the news – and we’re a couple of kids from council estates – but when these things are on the news, your judgement instantly goes to blaming the family, you blame the mum and dad.

"We’re all guilty of it, because that's the easy common denominator. I just thought, ‘What if that's not the case at all?’"

All four episodes of Adolescence have been directed by Philip Barantini, who was previously behind both the film and TV series Boiling Point. The film was shot entirely in one take, and that approach has also been implemented for Adolescence, with each episode being made up of just a single, moving take.

Explaining the choice behind using this approach for the series, Barantini said recently: "First and foremost, we never wanted it to be at the front and centre.

"It's not like, ‘Oh, look how clever we are by doing this one take thing’. It has to be an immersive feeling, and sort of a subconscious feeling that you're taking the audience on a journey where they can't take their eyes off the screen. We're all guilty of watching stuff with one eye on our phones, but for something like this, it's so compulsive, that you can't miss a beat.

"And that's the idea, that it adds to the tension and to the anxiety, which is an immersive experience for the actors as well. You get the best performance because they're in it. They’re living it. And there's no cuts at all, so for one hour you have to be in character."

Who stars in Adolescence?

The cast of Adolescence is led by one of its writers, Stephen Graham (Peaky Blinders), playing the father of a boy accused of murder. That boy is played by newcomer Owen Cooper, while other leading roles are taken by Ashley Walters (Missing You), playing the detective looking into Owen's case, and Erin Doherty (A Thousand Blows), playing Owen's child psychologist.

You can find a full list of the cast for the series here:

• Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller
• Ashley Walters as DI Luke Bascombe
• Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston
• Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller
• Faye Marsay as DS Misha Frank
• Mark Stanley as Paulie Miller
• Christine Tremarco as Manda Miller
• Jo Hartley as Mrs Fenumore
• Amélie Pease as Lisa Miller

Is there a trailer available for Adolescence?

There is! You can watch the trailer right here now.

Adolescence will stream on Netflix from Thursday 13th March 2025. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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