A Groundbreaking Series That Outshines 2025 Oscar Nominees

Netflix raised the bar for streaming television with several Oscar-nominated releases in 2025, but Adolescence was a cut above the lot of them. This four-episode TV series might not be eligible for an Academy Award, yet it feels as though it should be.

Virtually every aspect of the show is a unique achievement worthy of comparison with the most innovative cinematic dramas in history. Among the reasons Adolescence’s reviews were so good when it was released last March, its flawless execution of four single-shot episodes, as well as Owen Cooper’s extraordinary debut performance, are the ones to have brought it most attention.

But there’s so much more about this breathtaking series that set it apart, from Cooper’s showdown with Erin Doherty in episode 3, to Stephen Graham and Christine Tremarco’s heart-rending performances as devastated parents. Meanwhile, the thread running through the entire story is Jack Thorne’s masterful screenplay, which deserves an Oscar nomination of its own.

Netflix’s Adolescence Is Better Than Every 2025 Oscar Nominee

Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller sitting on Jamie's bed holding a stuffed toy in the Adolescence finale — Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller in Adolescence

While critics and audiences alike pore over the Best Picture nominees for the 2026 Oscars, it’s worth stating plainly that Adolescence is better than all of them. The technical virtuosity of F1, Frankenstein, and One Battle After Another is undeniable, yet is nothing on what the production team behind Adolescence achieved last year.

Yorgos Lanthimos may have returned with another mind-bending masterpiece in Bugonia, and Sentimental Value is unquestionably a powerful tale beautifully told, Adolescence far exceeds the storytelling of either Oscar nominee. The series features even better acting performances than Hamnet and Marty Supreme’s admittedly outstanding lead roles, too.

In addition, as powerfully as the underlying themes of Sinners, The Secret Agent, and Train Dreams are rendered onscreen, their emotional resonance and social impact is dwarfed by the effect Adolescence had on millions of people around the world last year. As good as this year’s Oscar nominees are, they simply can’t compete with Stephen Graham’s greatest work.

Adolescence Would Win Best Picture If It Were Eligible For The Oscars

Given the record-breaking Emmys success Adolescence achieved last September, as well as its clean sweep of the Golden Globes in early January, it’s hard to imagine the series not winning the Oscar for Best Picture if it were eligible. In fact, the series has swept pretty much every award ceremony in its path for the past 10 months.

Adolescence secured its status as a Hollywood critical darling as soon as it was released on Netflix, and is the kind of underdog the entertainment business loves to reward. The show was made by a group of relatively unsung industry figures who are finally getting their dues, and features a child actor making one of the greatest ever screen debuts.

At the same time, the backing of Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B Entertainment has given it the clout and connections to launch a promotional campaign that have turned its myriad artistic merits into a PR triumph. Adolescence has the perfect recipe for unprecedented Oscars success. It just hasn’t been allowed into the ceremony.

Why The Oscars Doesn’t Include TV Shows

An Oscar statuette in front of a theater and a collage of streaming services

Of course, no TV series of any kind is eligible to be nominated for an Academy Award. The Oscars are put on by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), an organization specific to feature-length releases and cinema in general, including short films.

Nevertheless, the ceremony does now include various streaming-only releases, as the likes of Netflix have blurred the lines between cinema and television. AMPAS is having to evolve to accommodate modern media trends, as exemplified by YouTube’s recent deal to stream the Academy Awards from 2029 onwards.

The stature of Adolescence and other award-winning prestige TV shows illustrates just how outdated the Oscars are becoming in their attitude towards television. It may well be that the next progressive step AMPAS takes is to include a handful of award categories recognizing prestige series, which are now comparable with the very best cinema has to offer.