A gritty indie film you’ve probably never heard of suddenly dominates debates in the internet’s darkest corners. Adolescence, a raw, one-shot drama about a volatile teenage boy’s 96-minute meltdown, has become the unlikely obsession of the “manosphere”—and Hollywood is scrambling to figure out why.
Directed by 29-year-old newcomer Alex Verner, Adolescence follows a nameless 17-year-old (played by relative unknown Jesse Cole) as he rage-spirals through a single night: punching walls, screaming at his parents, and confronting bullies in unbroken real-time footage. Critics are calling it “Euphoria meets Birdman on a Red Bull bender,” but it’s the film’s explosive reception among men’s rights forums, pickup artist communities, and anti-feminist influencers that’s turning heads.
The Single-Shot Gimmick Hiding a Darker Message?
Verner insists the film is a “cautionary tale” about isolation in the TikTok generation. But the manosphere is hailing it as a “brutal truth bomb” about modern masculinity. Clips of Cole’s character snarling lines like “Nobody sees me until I break something!” have gone viral on X and Rumble, with influencers like BetterBachelor tweeting, “FINALLY—a movie that shows how society gaslights young men into self-destruction.”
Meanwhile, critics argue the film glorifies toxic behavior. The Los Angeles Times called it “a 96-minute tantrum that plays like an incel manifesto,” while mental health advocates warn it romanticizes anger as a form of “authenticity.” Verner fires back: “This isn’t a hero’s journey. It’s a wake-up call. If certain groups are idolizing this kid, they’ve missed the point.”
Behind the Chaos: How They Pulled Off the Impossible Shoot
Shot in one continuous take on a shoestring budget, Adolescence required 27 failed attempts before nailing the final cut. Cole trained for months to handle the physicality, including a scene where he destroys an entire bedroom without a single edit. “By take 15, I was actually crying from frustration,” the actor admits. “It felt like the character was consuming me.”
The film’s DIY ethos is part of its appeal. With no studio backing, Verner maxed out three credit cards and used his childhood home as the primary set. “My mom played the mom,” he laughs. “She still won’t forgive me for the scene where Jesse throws an Xbox through her real-life kitchen window.”
Why the Manosphere Is Weaponizing It
Reddit’s r/MenGoingTheirOwnWay has dissected the film frame-by-frame, praising its portrayal of male anger as “justified rebellion” against “a world that demonizes boys for being boys.” Meanwhile, TikTok edits set the protagonist’s rage to Andrew Tate soundbites are racking up millions of views.
But not everyone in the manosphere is cheering. Some argue the film’s ambiguous ending—where the teen collapses, sobbing and alone—proves “weakness gets you nowhere.” Verner sighs, “The discourse is a mess. But if it gets people talking about how we’re failing young men? Good.”
The Secret Streaming Boom
Despite zero marketing, Adolescence trended on Amazon Prime for 48 hours after a popular Joe Rogan guest praised its “alpha energy.” It’s now in talks for a surprise theatrical run—and Cole’s Instagram has morphed from cat photos to a battleground of fans vs. haters.
Love it or hate it, Adolescence is proving one thing: A movie doesn’t need superheroes or explosions to blow up the internet. Sometimes, all it takes is one furious kid, one unbroken shot, and a culture war waiting to ignite.