Netflix’s critically acclaimed thriller Adolescence has left viewers stunned with its impressive camera trickery.
Jeremy Clarkson, 64, was among a legion of fans bowled over by a particularly effective shot in director Philip Barantini’s new series.
The show, starring Stephen Graham, follows the case of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a classmate.
Praise has been lumped on the breakout 15-year-old star Owen Cooper, who plays the teen, and his on-screen father played by Graham.
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However, fans have been wowed by each episode being shot in one take – a signature style of the British director.
This meant each one-hour instalment had to be meticulously planned with the actors, extras and crew unable to make a single error for a successful take.
Each episode was initially planned to be filmed 10 times, but the incredibly ambitious nature of the project meant “many more takes” had to be done.
One of the show’s most impressive segments came in the closing moments of episode two, where the camera appears to glide seamlessly from the school to the crime scene before finally landing on a close-up of Graham.
Q: So did they film each episode more than once?
A lot more. It was initially planned that they would film each episode in full 10 times (once in the morning, once in the afternoon, across five days) – but in reality a few attempts had to be abandoned and restarted, so some…
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) March 15, 2025
Jeremy Clarkson was among those left scratching their heads at the incredible shot.
“How on earth did they do that? It’s impossible,” he questioned on X.
The 64-year-old declared: “I’ve been in the business for 30 years and I cannot work it out. The only other time I was stumped was the bathroom cabinet scene in Contact.”
Partially revealing the secret, Adolescence’s writer explained to Deadline: “We strapped a camera to a drone that took off over traffic lights and then suddenly you’re at the murder scene. Emotionally it kicks you in the stomach.”
Delving into the more technical aspects of the shot, he added via the streaming platform’s X account: “A team attach the camera to a drone, which then flies a distance of 0.3 miles across the site to the murder scene.
“Where it comes down to a camera operator and team of grips who smoothly catch the camera and transition into a close shot of Stephen Graham,” they added.
During the online Q&A, Netflix also explained the lengths the production had to go to achieve the one-shot episodes.
Hundreds of extras had to be placed exactly, with the crew members in costume disguised as among them.
