(Warning: spoilers are ahead about Adolescence)

When Adolescence premiered in March 2025, it quickly earned a reputation as one of the most unsettling U.K. television series in recent memory. After the four-part miniseries hit Netflix in the U.S., viewers were left shaken—and full of questions. Chief among them: Was Jamie Miller, the chilling lead played by breakout star Owen Cooper , inspired by a real person?

Below, Hollywood Life breaks down the gripping one-shot drama and how creators Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham brought its haunting story to life.

What Is Adolescence About?

Adolescence follows 13-year-old Jamie’s arrest and how his family’s world is turned upside down in the aftermath. Accused of murdering a classmate named Katie, Jamie faces the consequences of h

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