'Adolescence' and 'Toxic Town' are among Britain's finest miniseries!
Actors Owen Cooper, Erin Doherty, Stephen Graham and Jodie Whittaker made my weekend terrific.
I no longer think that British miniseries are inconsistent and too familiar. That's a helluva thing to say when royals and cops are neverending. Nevertheless, in 2024, I unknowingly began to reach for this thought when watching the fourth season of ‘Slow Horses’, the claustrophobic 'Baby Reindeer', and fun of 'The Red King'.
The realisation slammed when experiencing the brilliance of 'Adolescence' (thanks to Oene Kummer for recommending it). How they pulled off that one-shot camerawork, from ground to car and air, is so amazing that, like an illusionist's trick, part of me doesn’t want to know how it was done.
My other previous Brit peeve was that it felt like the same dozen actors were being recycled, and that it was them rather than the shows making them popular (oh, celebrity culture, just die!). But 'Adolescence' was an exceptional mixture of old and new.
That’s exampled by the third episode (which blew me away). Therein, the boy accused of murder is being evaluated by a psychiatrist, respectively played by newcomer Owen Cooper and almost fresh Erin Doherty (this is her third hit after 'The Crown' and 'A Thousand Blows). That scene’s dialogue and acting matches the best from award-winning feature films the past year.
Stephen Graham, who plays the emotionally tortured father, somehow eclipses their perfection. Considering that he's appeared in 'Snatch', 'Band of Brothers' and 'Gangs of New York', it means something when I say that this is his finest performance.
‘Adolescence’ compelled me to watch another Brit miniseries today (yes, England, you strangely occupied 8 hours of my 48-hour life).
I turned to actress Jodie Whittaker. She may be most famous for ‘Dr Who’ and ‘Broadchurch’ but my favourite is the grossly underrated scifi feature, ‘Attack the Block’. Her latest, ‘Toxic Town’ is another highlight.
‘Adolescence’ and ‘Toxic Town’ are on Netflix. They are further tied together by Jack Thorne being co-creator and creator. Enjoy.
On April Fool’s Day, I’ve got a treat for you, the first part of the inaugural Magical International Movie Awards (MIMA).