Adolescence Review: Exposing the Realities of the 'Manosphere'

By Lola Fallon

Warning: this article contains spoilers for the Netflix drama Adolescence.

Adolescence is a four-part miniseries written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne and directed by Philip Barantini. It tells the tragic story of Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), a thirteen-year-old boy who is arrested for the murder of his classmate Katie Leonard (Emilia Holliday). 

Every episode is impressively filmed in one take, immersing the audience in Jamie’s arrest and police interviews, making viewers feel as if they are experiencing events alongside the characters, increasing the tension. 

The end of episode one delivers a shocking twist, as CCTV footage confirms that Jamie did murder Katie. Graham states that he did this on purpose, as he didn’t want the show to be a whodunnit, but wanted the following episodes to focus on why he did it, and what modern influences led him to commit this serious crime. 

His motives are made clearer in episode two, as D.I. Bascombe (Ashley Walters) is pulled aside by his teenage son, who explains the online subculture known as the ‘manosphere’, which has ultimately transformed how a generation of boys perceive women. Bascombe’s confusion at this new concept underscores how recently these ideologies have emerged and grown.

The series highlights how this misogynistic rhetoric directly affect young boys such as Jamie.

It is clear that he has absorbed the ideas within the manosphere, such as the 80/20 rule (the theory which proposes that 80% of women are attracted to the top 20% of men). These damaging beliefs have gone on to affect his self-confidence, and his relationship with the women in his life.

In episode three, we finally hear Jamie’s open up. The manosphere has convinced him that he is ugly, and will never find love. Due to this low self-confidence, he only feels capable to ask Katie out after her topless photos are leaked, believing that her vulnerability increases his chance of her saying yes. He boasts about this manipulation, saying "it’s clever, don’t you think?"

When discussing the murder, Jamie attempts to justify his actions by claiming he is a good person for not sexually assaulting Katie after killing her. He declares that "most boys would have touched her, which makes me better", a chilling line.

He has multiple outbursts during this episode, trying to intimidate the Psychologist, Briony (Erin Doherty), but the one at the end of the episode is the most chilling. When Briony tells Jamie that their sessions are over, he explodes, and as he is dragged out by a guard, he begs Briony to tell him that she likes him, showing his desperate need for validation.

Beyond Jamie’s perception of girls his age, Adolescence also explores the contrasting ways that he views his parents. While his mother, Manda (Christine Tremarco) understands him better, going as far to contact the prison to inform them of his dietary needs, Jamie idolises his father, Eddie (Stephen Graham) and dismisses his mother, the only positive thing he can say about her is that she makes a good roast dinner.

One of the most interesting aspects of this show is the focus on Jamie’s parents. Despite Jamie’s obvious admiration for this father, Eddie painfully admits that he never understood his son, and was, at time, ashamed of him, exposing generational divides.

The final scene is one of the most harrowing. Alone in Jamie’s room, Eddie tucks Jamie’s teddy into bed, says "I’m sorry son", and breaks down into uncontrollable sobs, an act that the manosphere deems a sign of weakness. 

This show is sensational, and has received rave reviews. The Guardian has declared that Adolescence is "the best drama of 2025 so far", while Empire calls it  "a triumph of creative and technical artistry". The acting from everyone, especially Owen Cooper, who makes his acting debut in this miniseries is raw and phenomenal. 

But Adolescence is more than an outstanding show, it also provides vital social commentary, commenting on the modern era. During the shows’ press tour, Graham repeatedly explained that he was deeply disturbed by news stories of young boys murdering young girls, and wanted to create a show explaining why this keeps happening. 

We live in a time where the manosphere is expanding rapidly. Figures such as Andrew Tate are influencing young men, distorting their perceptions of women, sex and relationships, and the real-world consequences are terrifying.

Recent headlines prove this. This includes the murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam, who was stabbed to death by 17-year-old Hassan Sentamu in Croydon in September 2023 because of an argument.

More recently, Kyle Clifford was recently sentenced to life in prison for the triple murder of his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, her mother Carol, and her sister Hannah. Reports reveal that he watched Andrew Tate’s videos before he committed these atrocities in July 2024. Consuming this content fuelled his misogynistic rage, ensuring that his attack was out of pure hatred. 

As well as critical acclaim, the show has also caught the attention of the government. Labour MP Annaliese Midgley proposed for the show to be shown in schools to raise awareness of the dangers of these communities. The Prime Minister, Kier Starmer agreed, and stated that he watched the show with his teenage children, who are around Jamie’s age.

Labour’s 2024 General Election manifesto promised to tackle violence against women and girls. However, the overwhelming public response to this show has ultimately increased pressure on the government to act on these commitments.  

While Adolescence is devastating, one of the reasons it is so special is because Stephen Graham was determined to create a show with working class actors, showing off talent that is often overlooked by the industry.

In an interview with ITV, Graham shared that one of his proudest achievements was casting Owen Cooper, a boy from a council estate with no prior experience. He specifically stated that he didn’t want Jamie to be played by ‘a young lad who had been through theatre school’, and he was right as Cooper is incredible. Graham has since described him as a "generational talent".

Also, in another interview with Erin Doherty, Graham admitted that he initially believed that she was too posh for the role, as he had only seen her play Princess Anne in The Crown. Believing it was her real accent, he nearly dismissed her. But after hearing her natural voice online, he reached out to her. Since then, Graham and Doherty have worked on both Adolescence and A Thousand Blows.

Ultimately, Adolescence does more than tell a fictional story, it holds a mirror up to society. It forces us to confront the horrifying truth about the influences shaping young men today, and the devastating consequences of these going unchecked.

While the internet is revolutionary, it also provides a breeding ground for dangerous ideologies to grow and spread, influencing impressionable boys to develop hatred towards women. Hopefully, this show will not only spark conversations surrounding the manosphere, but will also drive meaningful action to dismantle these harmful spaces, and work towards a safer future.

Image: Free Malaysia Today