“Nightmarish” and “immersive” can feel like overused words when describing the experience of watching a TV drama. But they do not fully encapsulate what it feels like to watch Netflix’s Adolescence. From the opening minutes, when the door to their unassuming detached home is broken open by armed police, who storm in and arrest 13-year-old Jamie on suspicion of murder, to the devastating ending, this is jaw-dropping television. Written by Jack Thorne and the actor Stephen Graham, each episode is shot by the director Philip Barantini in a single take. Thorne said he and Graham explored the manosphere while making the show and that “as soon as we opened that box, it made sense of everything … the show is not an anti-Andrew Tate thing. The videos the kids are watching are a lot darker than Andrew Tate, and the people giving out their advice are a lot more dangerous than he is.” Once you reach the end of this drama, you will know exactly what he means. Immersive? Nightmarish? Sure. For some parents it might be the most frightening thing they have ever watched. —Ben Dowell