No Sequel for Adolescence

Philip Barantini, director of the Netflix crime drama Adolescence, believes the show should remain a self-contained story rather than extend into a second season.

The intense four-part drama unpacks the shocking case of a teenager accused of murdering his classmate. This Is England star Stephen Graham takes on the role of Eddie Miller, a father blindsided when armed police storm his home to arrest his 13-year-old son, Jamie (newcomer Owen Cooper). As Jamie’s appropriate adult, Eddie is forced to confront the chilling allegations against his child.

Created by Graham and acclaimed writer Jack Thorne, Adolescence dives deep into the disturbing realities of incel culture, revealing its connection to online misogyny and cyberbullying. Its raw and thought-provoking narrative has sparked a global conversation — one that even director Philip Barantini didn’t anticipate.

“Personally, I think it should be a standalone thing, because the conversation that it's sparked has just blown my mind,” he told PA news agency.

He explained that while the team hoped to provoke thought, the show’s global reach far exceeded expectations. “It was a small British TV show, shot in a little town, and now it's sparking discussions worldwide. That’s powerful.”

One of the show’s most emotionally charged moments, in which Eddie visits the murder site, wasn’t originally in the script. Barantini described the scene as a “sucker punch” that underscored the unimaginable weight of a parent reckoning with their child's actions.

The director also shed light on the show’s distinctive one-shot format, which gives Adolescence an unbroken, immersive quality. Each episode was filmed continuously in a single take—twice—allowing the crew to make refinements after the first attempt.

Achieving this ambitious style required meticulous planning. “With this script, it needs to be a constant flow, there's no scenes, it's just continuous,” Barantini said. Working closely with Thorne, Graham, and cinematographer Matt Lewis, they mapped out camera movements, adjusted dialogue pacing, and even ensured location transitions matched real-time travel durations.

Adolescence has sparked national debate on online safety, prompting Graham and Thorne to discuss the issue in Parliament. Despite calls for a second season, Barantini insists the show stands as a powerful, self-contained story.