Adolescence (2025)

Adolescence doesn't ease you in — each of its four episodes is shot in a single unbroken take, turning what could have been a standard crime procedural into something closer to Greek tragedy. Netflix reported over 142.6 million views worldwide since the March 2025 premiere, and in the UK it drew 6.4 million viewers for the very first episode alone. Critics agreed: a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score from 112 reviews, eight Emmy wins, and four Golden Globes. Co-creators Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne follow 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) after his arrest for murder, and the show's real achievement is refusing easy answers about what radicalized him. This is the one to start with if you only watch one thing on this list.