Told over the course of four episodes, Adolescence chronicles the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murder, and while other shows and movies have featured this type of tale, the Netflix miniseries is unique, thanks to its one-shots. The murder mystery TV show, created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (who also plays Jamie’s father, Eddie), premiered in March 2025 and quickly jumped to the top of Netflix’s trending charts. Many have been captivated by Adolescence‘s storytelling, cast performances, and, most prominently, its cinematography.

Adolescence has been praised by critics and audiences alike, earning a 99% Tomatometer score and a 72% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.

While Adolescence isn’t based on a true story per se, its story is inspired by incel culture, toxic masculinity, and real cases featuring child murderers. At the beginning of the limited series, the police arrest 13-year-old Jamie, much to the shock of his parents and sister. The cops accuse him of stabbing his classmate, Katie, to death the night prior, which he adamantly denies. Throughout Adolescence, the audience watches as Jamie’s family, the police, and the rest of the small English town come to terms with the crime, and it all unfolds in real time due to its one-shot takes.

Yes, Each Episode Of Adolescence Was Filmed In One Shot

All 4 Episodes Are Individual One Shots

Your eyes didn’t deceive you — each episode of Adolescence only contains a one-take shot. All four installments of the Netflix miniseries (each around one hour long) were filmed in one go, which is partly why so many are impressed with the crime drama. So, that means that the camera never stops rolling from when DI Luke Bascombe and DS Misha Frank are in their car waiting to arrest Jamie at the beginning of Adolescence episode 1 to the hour’s final scene featuring Jamie and Eddie’s embrace in the interrogation room. And the same can be said for the following three episodes.

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The Adolescence cast and crew went through many rehearsals to work through the choreography and ensure they were prepared to film entire episodes in one take on filming days (per Netflix’s Q&A thread on X). The cast would have their run-throughs, as well as the crew. So, when the time came to film the episodes, every person on the set was thoroughly prepared.

One might think that Adolescence features some movie magic to make it look like every episode was shot in one take. That’s not the truth, though.

Essentially, planning was the Adolescence cast and crew’s saving grace. However, they also used some tricks to make production easier. For example, some crew members had to be extras and dress up in costumes because there was no way for them not to be in the shots.

Adolescence’s Episodes Had Multiple Takes To Get It Right

Filming The Netflix Series Was A Long Process

The one-shot takes that viewers see in Netflix’s murder mystery show Adolescence are only one of many that the cast and crew filmed during production. Five days were set aside for shooting each episode, and the Adolescence producers planned on filming 10 takes for every installment. In reality, some required more takes, thanks to errors.
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Adolescence Cast
Role

Stephen Graham
Eddie Miller

Owen Cooper
Jamie Miller

Ashley Walters
DI Luke Bascombe

Erin Doherty
Briony Ariston

Faye Marsay
DS Misha Frank

Christine Tremarco
Manda Miller

Amélie Pease
Lisa Miller

Mark Stanley
Paul Barlow

Jo Hartley
Mrs. Fenumore

According to Netflix’s X Q&A, the editors and producers ended up going with the second take (shot on day one of five) for Adolescence episode 1; the thirteenth take for episode 2 (shot on the last day); the eleventh take for episode 3 (shot on the final day); and the sixteenth take for episode 4 (shot on the last day, as well). However, the cast and crew of Stephen Graham’s 2025 Netflix crime drama didn’t film the episodes in chronological order. Episode 3, which features Jamie meeting with his child psychologist, Briony, was the first one filmed, making it Owen Cooper’s official acting debut.

Adolescence Surprisingly Doesn’t Have Any Hidden Cuts

None Of The Episodes Features Secret Transitions

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One might think that Adolescence features some movie magic to make it look like every episode was shot in one take. That’s not the truth, though. Each installment of the Netflix murder mystery TV show was created by utilizing one continuous shot. The episodes don’t contain any edits that make it appear no cuts exist. In all actuality, the audience can’t see any cuts in Adolescence‘s episodes because there aren’t any.

The post-production process for Adolescence didn’t require editors to stitch any scenes together. They simply had to pick the best takes and then go about making other edits (like color grading, sound edits, etc.) to the episodes. Ultimately, Netflix’s limited series Adolescence required stellar camerawork to guarantee that the editors wouldn’t have to worry about stitching together an endless number of takes to create a seamless story. Instead, the cast and crew made that a reality while filming.

How Adolescence’s Window & Drone Shot Was Filmed In One Shot

The Camera Crew Smoothly Secured The Camera Onto A Drone

Two of the most impressive moments regarding the continuous takes in Adolescence come in episode 2. During the show’s second hour, DI Luke Bascombe and DS Misha Frank visit Jamie’s school to talk to his classmates and see if they can uncover any information concerning where the young boy stashed the murder weapon. Like every other episode, it was filmed in one take.

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As for Adolescence‘s drone shot, the crew seamlessly attached the camera to a drone after following the kids out of school.

Towards the ending of Adolescence episode 2, Bascombe chases one of Jamie’s friends, who jumps out of a classroom window and runs away from the cop. Consequently, the camera passes through the window, as well. Then, the episode closes with the camera taking flight and traveling to the crime scene (now a memorial for Katie), where Eddie places flowers on the ground.

For the window transition, the crew took out the glass before the shoot began. So, the camera operator inside the classroom could easily transfer the camera to the other operator waiting outside to continue filming the episode. The second cameraperson was crouching on the other side to ensure they were out of the shot. Then, the window was put back in using VFX in post-production.

As for Adolescence‘s drone shot, the crew seamlessly attached the camera to a drone after following the kids out of school. It then flew to the murder scene (about 0.3 miles away from the school), where it came down to a camera operator and a team of grips. They caught the camera and take a close shot of Eddie before the Adolescence episode ends.