8 Shows Like Netflix's Adolescence

In many ways, there has never been a show like Netflix's traumatic thriller Adolescence.

The British limited series from creators Jack Thorne and Stephan Graham, who also stars, sent shockwaves through audiences when it premiered in March, charting the investigation of a 13-year-old teenager named Jamie (Owen Cooper) who was accused of brutally murdering a classmate. It could have been just another crime series that entertains but ultimately fades from memory when it's replaced by a litany of others like it. But Adolescence makes a statement by unfolding as four, one-shot long takes, moving through spaces like the police station, the school Jamie attends, and even the therapy sessions where his dark side comes out to play.

It is a singular piece of television that is not easy to watch, nor is it something to be ignored. But for those who finished the series wanting more TV that interrogates (no pun intended) the themes of childhood violence, nature vs. nurture, and the stories we tell ourselves to sleep at night — or who just want more from the show's creators and stars — here are a few recommendations.

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A Thousand Blows

While this boxing drama set on the mean streets of 1880s East London couldn't be farther from the modern mundanity of middle-class life seen in Adolescence, it does offer some familiar faces. Mere days before they were seen together in Adolescence, Graham joined forces with Erin Doherty (who plays the court-ordered psychologist in Episode 3) for A Thousand Blows, a hard-hitting drama about the illegal bare-knuckle boxing industry and the vortex of crime that circled around it. Doherty leads an all-female crime syndicate known as the Forty Elephants, while Graham battles his inner demons and the outside world as the gruff leader of the boxing underworld. It is a brutal world of a different kind than Adolescence, but the magnetic performances of Graham and Doherty pack a punch.

When They See Us

Adolescence is a fictional piece of crime, although it has an unfortunate amount of real-world examples of child violence from which to pull. But Netflix has previously depicted a real tragedy that involved teenagers charged with a crime in the 2019 limited series When They See Us. The story is based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, in which five young Black and Latino male suspects were falsely accused and convicted of the rape and assault of a white woman in Central Park. The affecting and tragically timely story features an all-star cast including Michael K. Williams, Niecy Nash, Aunjanue Ellis, Vera Farmiga, Joshua Jackson, Blair Underwood, John Leguizamo, Felicity Huffman, and Jharrel Jerome in an Emmy-winning role. Much like Adolescence, it is a tough sit. But it is required viewing for those who want to understand the case and why it is not the rarity it should be.

Unbelievable

Part of what makes Adolescence so compelling is the investigation into what happened and who is telling the truth. A similar theme cuts through Netflix's 2019 limited series Unbelievable, which begins with Marie (Kaitlyn Dever), a foster teen who reports being raped only to be pressured by detectives to recant her story and face criminal charges of her own. Her case is only taken seriously later on when two Colorado detectives (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) work to hunt down a serial rapist. Infuriating and vindicating are the mix of emotions viewers will experience watching this series, which is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning reports by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong about a similar investigation.

The Wire

If you want another crime drama that is gritty and grounded, look no further than The Wire, a show many consider to be the best show of all time. Set in Baltimore, the five-season series from author and former reporter David Simon focused on a different institution of public service in each season of its run, including print news, city government, the port system, education, and the drug trade. That framework, similar to Adolescence's new focus each episode, shakes up the story and the audience, never allowing them to get too comfortable with the revelations of the show. It is an engrossing and weighty series that is not for the faint of heart, but it is called the best of all time for a reason. Pay particular attention to Season 4, which takes a look at the Baltimore school system and how young males are seduced into a life of crime by peer pressure and the promise of escaping poverty.

Defending Jacob

Despite being led by Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery, Apple TV+'s Defending Jacob managed to fly under the radar when it dropped on the streamer in 2020 (likely due to bigger things happening in the world like COVID-19). But more so than most shows on this list, Defending Jacob is strikingly similar to Adolescence, as it follows two parents as they grapple with the trial of their 14-year-old son (Jaeden Martell), who is accused of stabbing a classmate to death in a parking lot. Sound familiar? Evans, Dockery, and Martell are incredible in an imperfect series, but it will nevertheless hit close to home for those affected by Adolescence.

The Night Of

The first episode of Adolescence sits almost unbearably with the excruciating detail of Jamie's booking after he is arrested for murder. As he is questioned for the first time, strip searched, and made to wait for answers of what will happen next, audiences are forced to reckon with the emotional toll of the experience. It won't be the first time for those who watched HBO's 2016 limited series The Night Of, which follows a Pakistani-American college student (Emmy winner Riz Ahmed) who is charged with murdering a woman in New York City. Prejudice, race, class, and everything in between color the trial of this man whose life is shattered by a justice system that is stacked against him.

Criminal: UK

If the interrogation in Adolescence's premiere episode is what you are looking for, then stay on Netflix and search for Criminal: UK. The two-season series, one of four localized for their country of origin (including France, Spain and Germany), follows investigators as they interrogate suspects in grievous criminal cases. With notable guest stars like David Tennant, Hayley Atwell, Kit Harington, Kunal Nayyar, and Sophie Okonedo all sitting in the hot seat, the series is a ticking clock for the police, who sometimes only get one crack at their prime suspect.

The End of the F***ing World

One final Netflix addition to the list is The End of the F***ing World, a dark comedy series that manages to wring what few laughs can be brought out of the story of a teenage boy (Alex Lawther) who believes he is a psychopath and wants to escalate into killing people. Whether he's killing animals or going on a road trip with his first intended human victim (Jessica Barden), the series will either be exactly what fans of Adolescence will be looking for or something incredibly triggering for those still reeling from that series' grim outlook. Again, there is levity to The End of the F***ing World, despite its title and problematic main character.