Thomas Innes

Adolescence on Netflix: I posted the other night about how brilliant the acting, cinematography, story, and message were in all four episodes. I got some harsh comments and I feel like it’s important to make a post responding to them. Most of the negative comments came from those that didn’t watch the four part series, but are upset that, while it is based on a true story, the main character cast was a white child, rather than a black one. I’ll start by saying that I’m opposed to historical movies making Cleopatra or Queen Elizabeth black, because that’s just silly, but in this case the change made some sense- I’ll explain: This series is not about knife violence. I repeat, this series is NOT about knife violence. The series is about the dangers of social media on our youth. So why go with a white child actor? Well, if you see how amazing this kid is in the role you would understand one reason he was cast. Why else? Because the character was meant to be a sympathetic figure, and sadly, it’s easier for too many people to empathize with a white character in that role. Without adding any spoilers, it’s absolutely crucial to the story that you sympathize with the lead character, a 13 year old boy. If people’s takeaway was that this is about white kids being the face of knife violence in the UK, then you completely missed the message of the piece, or more likely, you haven’t watched it. In order to judge a piece fairly, it is a prerequisite that you actually watched it. I say this as someone who has consistently been critical of diversity for the sake of diversity, especially when it comes to art and film. I also understand why it upset some of you, because using a white character feels to you like they are ignoring the reality of which group you believe is disproportionately committing acts of violence, but please trust me when I say this series isn’t about that- so give it a watch and see for yourself. It isn’t about race, so go into it colorblind and appreciate it for the message it’s actually conveying.