We Need to Talk About Kevin and 4 Other TV Series & Movies to Watch After Adolescence
Juvenile crime, kids who had to grow up early, and broken parents.
One of the biggest hits of early 2025 is the British miniseries Adolescence – an intense drama that quickly shot to the top of Netflix's most-watched projects.
If four emotionally draining episodes about murder and its aftermath weren't enough for you, we've rounded up five movies and shows that continue this topic.
1. This Is England, 2006
In the early 1980s, 12-year-old Shaun lives with his mother in a British industrial town and is deeply affected by the death of his father, who was killed in the Falklands War. A group of young skinheads provides the lonely teenager with unexpected support and a sense of brotherhood.
Shaun makes friends and finds his first love at parties and gatherings, but his carefree life comes to an abrupt end when Combo, an aggressive criminal who constantly pressures and incites Shaun to commit crimes, is released from prison.
2. Defending Jacob, 2020
The murder of a schoolboy turns the life of a Boston suburb upside down. The prime suspect is 14-year-old Jacob, the son of Assistant District Attorney Andy.
As the investigation continues, the family finds themselves under the scrutiny of the police, the media, and their neighbors. While Andy continues to believe in his son's innocence, his wife Laurie wonders: what if her son is capable of murder?
The detective story in Adolescence ends before it begins: by the end of the first episode, viewers are shown convincing evidence of the boy's guilt. Defending Jacob, on the other hand, is built around a moral dilemma: is it necessary to believe your child's words about his innocence to the end?
3. We Need to Talk About Kevin, 2011
Eva lives alone and works in a small travel agency near the prison where her son Kevin is serving time for mass murder.
She has become accustomed to the hostility of the locals, but she still has no idea what drove the child to commit such a terrible crime. Before another appointment, Eva remembers the past – the distant and cruel Kevin growing up, and his unexpected passion for archery.
We Need to Talk About Kevin and Adolescence are similar stories about the inner loneliness and gnawing guilt of parents trying to understand where and when they went wrong.
4. The Virtues, 2019
Joseph is left alone when his wife takes their son and moves to Australia. His loneliness motivates him to take a big step: return to his native Ireland and speak to his sister for the first time in 30 years.
The return is accompanied by painful memories that Joseph has long repressed: he was sexually abused as a child, and now he wants to take revenge on his abusers.
If you were moved by the final moments of Adolescence, with Stephen Graham sobbing in his son's room, then prepare yourself for another emotional punch to the gut. The Virutes conveys the same sense of exhaustion and hopelessness.
5. Broken, 2012
11-year-old Emily lives in a quiet English suburb with her father, Archie, a lawyer. Their neighborhood is full of identical houses, streets, and seemingly wealthy neighbors.
One day, this quiet life ends when an aggressive neighbor beats Emily's friend, who has been accused of rape. Lies and cruelty invade the girl's daily life, shattering her illusory stability and forcing her to seek solace in unpredictable places.
Broken lives up to its title – it is one of the most tragic British films of the 21st century. Similar feelings of helplessness and devastation overwhelm the finale of Adolescence.