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Warped ideology that is reaching even young SA minds – but it’s good.
Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston, in Adolescence. Picture: Netflix
There’s a culture that’s reared its unwelcome head in today’s digital age that’s equal parts toxic, dangerous, and eerily growing in silence.
It’s called the incel culture.
A term short for “involuntarily celibate”, it’s associated with an online subculture made up of men who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite wanting one.
But what makes this group alarming is not their loneliness, it’s the entitlement, the bitterness, and, often, the hatred directed at women and girls.
Popularised and propelled by figures like social commentator Andrew Tate, a man not exactly known for having loving relationships with women, incel culture has seeped into online platforms where Tate’s misogynistic mantras have found loyal followers.
These digital heroes peddle a warped ideology that continues to spread like wildfire among impressionable young minds, even to South African shores.
It’s a murky, uncomfortable subject that’s difficult to unpack in conversation, let alone in a way that resonates with the public.
That’s why Netflix’s chilling and thought-provoking series, Adolescence, hits with the force of a lightning bolt.
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Co-created and written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne (of The Swimmers and Joy fame) and masterfully directed by Philip Barantini, this series turns that discomfort into compelling, raw entertainment.
Barantini employs his signature continuous jarring one-shot style, previously used in the British Academy Film Awards-nominated Boiling Point, to give the audience an unflinching, real-time experience.
The story follows the Miller family as their 13-year-old son, Jamie Miller, is arrested for the brutal murder of a female schoolmate.
What unfolds is not just a gripping legal drama; it’s a harrowing psychological exploration into a teenager twisted by unseen forces and a digital world most parents barely understand.
With Brad Pitt on board as executive producer through his Plan B Entertainment banner, Adolescence is a tour de force in storytelling.
The cast delivers gut-wrenching performances, especially the young lead who plays Jamie with eerie precision, his character both devious and psychotically calculated, yet disturbingly familiar.
The parents, caught between heartbreak and horror, navigate a terrain no family ever wants to tread.
At times, it is uncomfortable to watch.
What sets this series apart is how it unpacks the often-silent war being fought in the minds of teenage boys, especially those who feel invisible, unwanted, and unheard.
Through therapy sessions, prison dialogues, and media scrutiny, the characters reveal a chilling truth: digital culture is raising many of our kids, and they are listening to the wrong voices.
We also get a sobering glimpse into the British legal and prison system, where juvenile offenders are treated with a complex mix of sensitivity and scrutiny.
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The scenes within the school system further paint a bleak picture — public school teachers living in fear of students, unable to intervene, unsure of their safety.
The system is failing both pupils and educators.
The emotional core of Adolescence is its exploration of parenting.
As Jamie’s father wrestles with guilt and the desire to protect his child, he learns one of life’s hardest truths: you can only guide your child so far.
At some point, you must let them go — and hope they make the right choices.
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But how can they, when their world is shaped by influencers who teach them to hate? This series raises urgent questions:
What are our children consuming?
Who are their heroes? What conversations are we not having? Adolescence is not just entertainment — it’s a wake-up call.
A series like this forces reflection, and if it makes even one parent sit down and talk to their child about what they see online, it has done its job.
This is more than just another binge-worthy show that’s stayed at the top of Netflix’s most viewed in South Africa since its debut.
It’s a conversation starter, a societal mirror, and a disturbing glimpse into the undercurrents shaping youth. I don’t often give 5 out of 5 stars, but this deserves it.
Watch it.
Then talk about it.
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