Netflix's 'Adolescence': Parenting as a Horror Story

When the local police break down Jamie바카라�s door in Netflix's 'Adolescence', his father바카라�s reaction is something one can immediately recognise. It바카라�s a look of fear, disbelief, confusion, along with an assurance of there being some sort of miscommunication.

How could a normal suburban family have anything to do with a violent murder? And yet, as the episodes go on바카라�we begin to see how the meek, scared teenager has other sides to him deeply tucked away, revealing themselves only in certain moments.

It바카라�s a particularly harrowing thing to witness from the point-of-view of Eddie바카라�a plumber, striving day and night to give his children the best life possible. It바카라�s a deeply-felt performance, conveying the shame of 바카라�raising a killer바카라� and grappling with an endless pit of questions about what they could have done differently. Yet, the family decides to live the rest of their lives with their heads held high바카라�not letting their dignity get consumed by the stigma that society would like to attach to them.

Adolescence is the latest within a sub-genre of films/shows that grapple with parenting as a horror story. In Lynne Ramsay바카라�s We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011), Eva lives in the aftermath of her son Kevin바카라�s horrific mass-murdering act in a high school. In one of the most tense scenes, Eva comes face-to-face with a woman, who appears to be a parent of a deceased child. She splashes her cup of juice on Eva바카라�s face. What바카라�s most chilling about it is the resignation on Eva바카라�s face, the shame she can바카라�t let go of; believing she is deserving of such humiliation in broad daylight.

The film and the series deal with a parent바카라�s worst fear바카라�What if we바카라�ve given birth to a criminal? There바카라�s no real manual to parenting. How does one keep an eye on their child, without suffocating them and pushing them away? Can a parent, with their love and devotion, cure a child showcasing psychopathic tendencies? Or can a parent바카라�s neglect turn a fun-loving child into an outcast바카라�longing for attention from their peers, driving them to dangerous lengths?

The isolation of teenage is captured with eerie authenticity in The Girl From Plainville (2022) on Hulu바카라�an eight-part miniseries around the 바카라�texting suicide case바카라� with a teen called Michelle Carter at the heart of it. An investigation into the suicide of an 18-year-old Conrad Roy found that he was in touch with his girlfriend, Carter, while going through the act. Apparently, Carter coaxed him to go through with it바카라�and was thereby charged with involuntary manslaughter. The 2022 series, despite its passionate view of Carter바카라�s deteriorating mental health, concludes that she did it to get the attention of her peers.

The most harrowing part about these films and shows is how clueless the parents are. They바카라�re all diligent, checking up on their kids, trying to be there, trying to grant all their wants and desires, in a bid to keep them happy. And despite all of it; how the children manage to lead a secretive existence.

Eva, despite being a reluctant mother, tries her best to be there for Kevin. In a way, they share a twisted intimacy바카라�where she is the only one who sees the pure, unhinged evil in him. On the other hand, her husband Franklin makes excuses on their son바카라�s behalf, and tells her to stop projecting her paranoia onto him by painting him as a monster. In one of the most discomfiting scenes in the film, we see Kevin unfeelingly crushing cereals on the kitchen top, on the same day he바카라�s about to slaughter his batchmates.

How does one reach out to a child who has shut down? They바카라�re somehow convinced that the parents can no longer shield them from the suffering they feel around their friends in school/college. Counselling or psychiatric medicines are seen with the accompanying stigma of one being 바카라�crazy바카라�바카라�hence, one finds themselves resisting clinical diagnosis. There바카라�s no fixed answer바카라�given the myriad of elements in the equation that could vary for any situation. As the last piece of dialogue sees Eva바카라�s character ask Kevin바카라�바카라�Why?바카라� Kevin simply shrugs his shoulders and says, 바카라�I used to think I know, but I바카라�m no longer sure.바카라�

The final episode of Adolescence superbly captures the crests and falls of a family grieving their son바카라�s act of violence. It begins on Eddie바카라�s 50th birthday바카라�where he바카라�s upbeat about an English breakfast his wife Manda is making him. They바카라�re humming their favourite tune, whispering naughty things to each other, and opening gift cards. This feels like a family in remission, trying to heal 10 months after their son바카라�s arrest. That바카라�s until their daughter Lisa screams for her father, asking Eddie to come to the front door. Someone vandalised Eddie바카라�s plumbing company truck by spray-painting 바카라�nonse바카라� (a British slang to refer to an alleged or convicted sex offender, especially those involving children) on it.

The episode follows the family as they seem resolute on not letting cruel teenagers take control of their day. They drive down to the nearest supermarket, intent on fixing the truck with a paint job, and making plans to go to the movies after that, and possibly grabbing some Chinese food for dinner. Given the unbroken camera take, the episode captures a multitude of emotions. Even though one might be angry beneath, one could put on the facade of happiness, only if to ensure that the world around them doesn바카라�t look at them with pity. It looks like the Millers have spent enough time trying to compartmentalise their self-worth from the crime of their son, and as a result have made the decision to be happy.

But their strong resolve is broken in the most unexpected places. Like at the supermarket, when a salesman recognises Eddie as Jamie바카라�s father and makes a chilling confession (hinting at how widespread the incel culture is)바카라�it shakes Eddie바카라�s happy delusions. As he leaves the place, he finds the kids who vandalised his car. A distraught Eddie ends up having a very public meltdown in front of the rest of the townsfolk.

Driving home in a stunned silence, the family gets a call from Jamie, who informs them that he바카라�s going to plead guilty. In a strange way, it brings a catharsis to the Millers, who can move on knowing their son has stopped lying to himself (and them). They sob over their responsibility as parents바카라�asking if there바카라�s anything they could have done differently to prevent it from happening. Could they have paid more attention, been friendlier to him, kept an eye on his computer and phone바카라�s browsing history? Could they have done more to fix his low self-esteem? At one point, Eddie asks Manda바카라�바카라�How did I make him?바카라� Lisa walks into the room, fully dressed up, intent on lifting her family from the day바카라�s all-round misery. 바카라�The same way we made her,바카라� Manda tells Eddie.

Tatsam Mukherjee is a film critic and culture reporter. He is currently based in Bangalore.

This article is part of Outlook바카라�s April 21, 2025 issue 'Adolescence' which looks at the forces shaping teenage boys today바카라�online misogyny, incel forums, bullying, and the chaos of the manosphere. It appeared in print as 'Parenting As A Horror Story'.