By
Dhruv Sharma
Published Feb 26, 2026, 8:45 PM EST
Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies.
After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back.
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In hardly 4 hours, one of the best dramas on Netflix manages to achieve a lot more than some of the longest running TV shows. While at it, it also accomplishes a nearly impossible feat, which makes it even more impressive.
A TV show's length is not the only thing that determines its success. For obvious reasons, shows that get to last longer usually end up telling more refined and complete stories. Even their characters feel more developed, while their story payoffs are far more satisfying. However, every once in a while, a 4-part limited series comes along and thrives on brevity instead of trying to take viewers on a longer ride.
Netflix's best crime drama from 2025 does the same and makes brilliant use of its short runtime to tell a hard-hitting story.
Adolescence’s One-Shot Filming Is One Of The Most Impressive Feats In TV History
With well-timed cuts and edits, shows and movies often maintain a prism for viewers. However, Netflix's Adoloscence adopts one-shot filming almost throughout its runtime to completely shatter that prism and completely immerse viewers in its drama. In the past, many shows like True Detective and Help have featured long, continuous shots that heighten tension in pivotal moments.
Adolescence, however, refuses to look away from the approach and unfolds in one continuous shot in all of its episodes to trap audiences in its gripping real-time drama.
Getting one-shot continuous filming right is not an easy feat because, from a logistical standpoint alone, it must ensure that nothing from behind-the-scenes, including crew members, microphones, and lights, ends up in the final cut.
It proves to be even more challenging for actors because they must remain in character for extended stretches without the safety net of retakes masked by edits. Even the smallest errors can derail the entire sequence being shot, forcing everyone to film it again. As challenging as this approach may seem, though, it was necessary for Netflix's best 2025 show, Adolescence.
The show thrives on intimacy and emotional immediacy. Some of its best sequences build tension by forcing viewers to sit through continuous, volatile confrontations and fragile silences. It barely lasts for 4 hours, but it ensures that in its brief runtime, audiences are able to feel every uncomfortable pause and emotional rupture as events spiral around the central accusation.
Adolescence’s Filming Process Proves Its Deserves Its Critical & Commercial Success
Owen Cooper (Jamie Miller) in Adolescence.
Adolescence is almost half as long as most full-fledged TV shows on Netflix. Yet, after sitting through it, one cannot help but experience everything from a father's regret of "not doing better" when his son was still around to a child counselor's growing helplessness and fear. Instead of merely antagonizing its main young character, Jamie, the show even gives audiences the opportunity to empathize with him.
Subscribe to the newsletter for deep takes on TV craft
Curious about techniques like one-shot filming? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear, focused coverage and analysis of TV craft—breakdowns, context, and commentary that make creative choices easier to understand. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.The show's success can be attributed to many factors, including its brilliant performances. However, if it wasn't for its challenging filming approach, Netflix's Adolescence would not have been half as effective and hard-hitting.
Considering all the effort that went into the Netflix show's creation and how much it ends up achieving narratively in its short runtime, it deserves all the recognition and fame it has been getting.
Adolescence
TV-MA
Crime
Drama
9/10
68
8.2/10
Release Date
March 13, 2025
Network
Netflix
Cast
Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Bidi Iredale, Amélie Pease, Christine Tremarco, Faye Marsay, Ashley Walters, Austin Haynes, Mark Stanley, Jo Hartley, Erin Doherty
Directors
Philip Barantini
Writers
Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne
Main Genre
Drama
Creator(s)
Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne
Executive Producer(s)
Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Mark Herbert, Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne, Jeremy Kleiner, Nina Wolarsky, Philip Barantini, Emily Feller
Producers
Jo Johnson
Seasons
1
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