Netflix Adolescence fans ‘work out’ real meaning behind cryptic photographs during opening credits
Fans of the critically acclaimed new Netflix show Adolescence believe they have solved the meaning behind the show’s haunting introduction.
The show, which holds a near perfect 98 percent on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes, has wowed fans with its powerful drama and incredible camera work.
Adolescence follows Eddie Miller, played by Stephen Graham, whose life is turned upside down after his 13-year-old son Jamie (Owen Cooper) is accused of murdering his classmate.
One of those enigmatic elements of the programme is its opening credits, which features photos of children not present in the main cast set against a black backdrop.
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Accompanying the mysterious opening was a haunting soundtrack, leaving watchers wondering about its potential meaning.
Now, viewers on Netflix’s fan-run Reddit page believe they have rumbled what was going on behind the intro.
“Does anyone know the meaning behind the pictures of the kids in the intros for adolescence? I found it so eerie with the soundtrack, but I can’t see how they link to the actual show,” a user initially asked the forum.
Others quickly dropped in with their interpretations, with one suggesting: “I think it’s supposed to highlight the innocence of children and how vulnerable they are to corruption and manipulation.. idk that’s my take”
Another believed the images were of “victims and perpetrators from real life” knife crime.
The discussion continued but viewers quickly coalesced around the theory the pictures were of the schoolchildren extras in the show.
“They are childhood photos of the child actors that are featured in each episode. I believe those photos are out in there to show that we are all innocent when we are young, but then when we become teens, the world corrupts us,” a second fan deduced.
A third agreed, adding that some of the pictures appeared to have been mocked up: “I think it was the actors in the episode. Last episode was clearly staged photos as ‘a family’”
Despite fans in the forum the theory “makes sense,” not all were convinced.
“If it was the actors in the episode, then I believe it would be easy to find that online. But I searched for many hours and that’s all I could find that made sense and matched the photos,” a thorough fourth user claimed.
The mysterious intro was not the only element of Adolescence that had viewers amazed as many, including writer and broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson, scratching their heads.
“How on earth did they do that? It’s impossible,” Clarkson wrote on X.
Netflix revealed in a Q&A that the camera was attached to a drone at the school mid-shot and flown to the crime scene before the crew “smoothly caught the camera and transitioned into a close shot of Stephen Graham.”