Adoration Series Review: Netflix’s Coming of Age Immersed in the Italian Province
Adoration Series Review: Netflix’s Coming of Age Immersed in the Italian Province - Filmyhype
Director: Alice Urciolo
Date Created: 2024-11-21 19:44
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Adoration Series Review: The new series Adoration (Adorazione), based on the novel of the same name by Alice Urciolo, and directed by Stefano Mordini, arrives on Netflix on November 20th. The first two episodes were previewed at Alice nella Città, during the Rome Film Festival. The cast of the series includes adults: Noemi, in her debut as an actress, in the role of Diana, Ilenia Pastorelli in the role of Enza, Vera and Giorgio’s mother, Barbara Chichiarelli, in the role of the policewoman Chiara, Claudia Potenza. The cast of the young protagonists: Alice Lupparelli (Elena), Noemi Magagnini, Beatrice Puccilli (Vera), Giulio Brizzi (Giorgio), Penelope Raggi (Diana), Luigi Bruno (Gianmarco), Tommaso Donadoni (Enrico), Federico Russo (Christian), Alessia Cosmo (Teresa), Federica Bonocore (Melissa). Fabri Fibra supervises the soundtrack. The Agro Pontino coast is the backdrop and – given the nature of the story – also a silent witness to the tragic events at the center of Adoration, the new young adult series from Netflix, consisting of six episodes and available from November 20 on the streaming platform.
After the preview presentation of the latest edition of Alice nella Città, in the setting of the Rome Film Fest. The series is based on the novel of the same name by Alice Urciuolo and is directed by Stefano Mordini, who returns to explore the darkest and most violent side of adolescence after having re-proposed the Circeo massacre on the big screen in 2021 in the film The Catholic School. The plot of Adoration revolves around the disappearance of a sixteen-year-old named Elena, which casts a shadow over the small community of Sabaudia and, in particular, within the group of friends who directly – or indirectly – were part of the life of the girl, known all for her wild and rebellious nature. Initially, precisely because of her restless character, both the police and her friends think that it is yet another attempt to escape, in search of a new life far from the suffocating province. What really happened to Elena? The disappearance of the young girl will put the lives of the people who were closest to her to the test, in particular that of her best friend Vanessa, whose apparently perfect life will begin to crumble precisely because of the hidden truths that gravitate around the disappearance of her friend.
Adoration Series Review: The Story Plot
It’s June in Sabaudia and a group of teenagers are waiting to find out the results of the school exams, while the summer season begins that revives the Pontine coast. We immediately meet Elena and Vanessa, best friends very different from each other, but united by a deep relationship bordering on ambiguity. Of the two, Elena is the rebellious and restless one and, after discovering that she has not passed the year, her impatience grows, and she is increasingly intent on making her dream of leaving a province that she feels suffocating come true, to start a different life in Rome. Vanessa, on the other hand, is about to turn 18, she is a girl apparently more settled and with a life already channeled into certain tracks: a beautiful, good, popular girl, already very engaged.
Her two cousins, Vera and Giorgio, live in the same building, much more turbulent and with a precarious family situation. When Elena, a few hours before Vanessa’s party, disappears, everyone thinks it’s just another impulsive move by the girl. But the truth, this time, is different. Elena’s disappearance will soon become a shocking event, which will open Pandora’s box of secrets, lies, and revelations that will change the lives of the kids and their families, as the investigation progresses to find out what really happened to the girl. The screenplay, the work of a large group of authors ( Donatella Diamanti, Tommaso Matano, Giovanni Galassi, Gianluca Gloria, and Francesca Tozzi ), is constructed in such a way as to trace an authentic path of growth on the screen, bringing to attention the aspirations, dreams, and fears of the young protagonists at the center of the story, but also the complex dynamics within the group itself, which are based on hidden tensions and unequal relationships.
It is precisely in the writing, however, that the main weaknesses of the series lie, which on more than one occasion gives in to a disorienting – and in part even annoying – simplification of some personal dynamics and relationships, which often translates into artificial and in some ways even paradoxical dialogues. However, it is precisely in its constant efforts to balance the coming-of-age story with the mystery to be solved that Adoration manages to find a fair balance. After all, the most interesting aspect of the series turns out to be the reflection that the story brings with it, that is, how any tragedy – in this case Elena’s disappearance and the consequent search for the truth – can burst like a bolt from the blue into everyday life, going to open the proverbial Pandora’s box and bringing to light the contradictions and idiosyncrasies of human beings, extremely complex figures who struggle to play a role in the grand scheme of things.
Adoration Series Review and Analysis
On the acting side, the performances of the young talents that make up the cast – many at their first acting experience, including the protagonists Noemi Magagnini (Vanessa) and Alice Lupparelli (Elena), others who have already appeared in various original Italian Netflix productions – are authentic but not always effective compared to the dramatic and emotional weight required by the actions and choices of their characters. Alongside them, a group of much more well-known adult faces that includes Barbara Chichiarelli (Suburra – The series, The Good Mothers and the highly anticipated M. Son of the Century), Ilenia Pastorelli (They Call Me Jeeg, Benedetta Fortuna) and the singer Noemi (here making her acting debut). One aspect that is worth praising is certainly the dark and suffocating atmosphere that Stefano Mordini’s direction can convey, the result of a work that plays a lot on the exposure of the close-ups and on the contrast offered between the beauty of the Pontine coast and the at least disturbing circumstances in which the protagonists are forced to move.
As previously mentioned, Adoration starts from intriguing premises, the result of an increasingly marked desire on the part of seriality to base the traumas and discomforts of adolescence with the most disparate genres and subgenres; the final sensation, however, is that of an investigation that is far too light on the reality of reference. Adoration does not delve much into its characters, arrives at an epilogue in a far too hasty manner, and, above all, struggles to get around the comforting naivety typical of teen drama, missing the opportunity to offer a product that perhaps deserved a different maturity and sensitivity.
Without managing to avoid some naivety and clichés, Adoration finds a good balance between the story of the formation and the mystery to be solved, a story full of voices. Among the most famous faces that make up the large cast, we include Noemi (a singer making her debut as an actress), Ilenia Pastorelli, Barbara Chichiarelli (who we will soon see in M), and Claudia Potenzasi. However, it is the kids who hold the emotional heart of the story: Alice Lupparelli (Elena), Beatrice Puccilli (Vera), Giulio Brizzi (Giorgio) and the other young talents authentically convey confusion, suffering, and search for meaning that characterize adolescence, while remaining in difficulty in situations in which the feelings to be passed on become intimate and profound. As a precise mapping of all the problems, paranoias, and difficulties of adolescence, Adoration touches on almost every possible nuance of youth discomfort, from the “classic” one linked to love and friendship to the acceptance of one’s own body and conflictual relationships with parents, to the deviant and dangerous one, such as gender violence, drugs, bullying.
Peers are at the same time the main obstacle to crash against but also an inexhaustible source of support and assistance, in the clumsy ways that each one learns, by making mistakes. Parents on the other hand all seem unsuitable, not up to the situation, incapable of framing and understanding their children, also caught up in daily miseries and unaware of the true nature of things. The most interesting aspect of Adoration is the one that immerses the mystery of Elena’s disappearance in everyday life, a slow and banal succession of days that are all the same, an apathetic scenario that certainly does not offer the best to the young protagonists and that acts as an indifferent backdrop to the events that slide along a summer that none of the protagonists will ever forget. It is precisely this mix of thriller and everyday life that allows the investigation into Elena’s disappearance to bring to light not only pieces of hidden history but also the secrets of the young protagonists and their differently complicated lives. Each character has something to hide, a secret that contributes to building an increasingly complex mosaic.
Stefano Mordini‘s direction creates a dark and heavy atmosphere, despite the predominantly sunny and airy scenarios of the Pontine coast, the effect given is that of a suffocating province, a place as familiar as it is oppressive. With Fabri Fibra supervising the soundtrack, Adoration reveals its careful and layered construction, even if not always happy. The result is an excessive simplification of some personal and relational dynamics, which are revealed when the dialogues appear artificial, and the acting of the protagonists is not yet sufficiently mature. Although the ambition of Adoration is to go beyond simple entertainment, the Netflix series gets lost in the details of the secondary narrative arcs, in the clichés and naivety of those who, to tell too much, lose concentration on what is important.
Unlike Alice Urciolo’s novel, the adaptation of Adoration written by Donatella Diamanti, Giovanni Galassi, Tommaso Matano, Francesca Tozzi, and Gianluca Gloria, places Elena’s disappearance in the present, thus focusing heavily on the investigative component and the thriller plot. While investigating the disappearance of a somewhat rebellious girl who has always found provincial life too tight, the same province and the characters – young and old – who populate it are dissected and universal themes are analyzed such as the lack of communication between generations, toxic friendships and loves, the need to find one’s place in the world and the inability to accept oneself. The premises are valid, interesting, and potentially full of ideas, but the development of Adoration does not always manage to live up to them, with too much on the table, and too many characters and storylines fragmenting the narrative. And it is the portrait, often not very incisive, of these characters that weakens its impact, especially in the case of adults.
The emotional void and lack of communication between parents and children emerges – as in the case of the relationship between Vanessa and her parents – but remains on the surface, and it is a shame because the aim of focusing attention and making people reflect on the need for sentimental education is laudable as well as urgent. Everyone has secrets to hide, conflicts, and tensions to deal with, and if on the one hand, it is true that the different narrative lines converge in the main one on Elena’s disappearance, it is precisely the attention of the latter that suffers. To the point that the triggering event of Adoration becomes almost secondary. Adoration overloads the viewer with ideas and reflections without actually completing them. Without giving the viewer time to fully absorb those same reflections, so urgently, on issues that closely concern the audience for which the series is intended. It talks about anger, fears, self-destructive choices, inadequate parents, and children adrift, it hints at dangerously nostalgic and obtuse political ideologies, but this flood of ideas remains on the surface.
The risk is that the young viewers of this series – which lends itself perfectly to binge-watching – end up letting the message and what should be the thematic heart of the story slide off them. There is no time to internalize the message and there is no time to become fond of the young protagonists, despite the actors – some a little immature – doing their best to focus on intensity. Noemi Magagnini stands out among all of them, whose debut hits on an emotional level and who is willingly forgiven for some incursions into the territory of overacting. There is no time to understand and participate emotionally and often the most timely and engaging commentary on the events is the one conveyed by the soundtrack, well exploited and used as an interpretative key that, elsewhere, is missing.
Adoration is an intense journey into adolescence, a coming of age that dives into the dreams, fears, and fragilities of a group of kids who find themselves dealing with the difficulties of growing up in a small provincial town; the series explores the delicate border between the search for oneself and the frustration of not being able to find one’s place in a world that seems suffocating and immutable. In this sense, the province no longer represents just the geographical context, but becomes a character in its own right, a place where the dreams of the protagonists can grow, but at the same time collide with their lack of opportunities and the frustration of a life that seems not to offer many alternatives. The mystery of Elena’s disappearance, therefore, acts as a detonator, unleashing a series of revelations that lay bare the kids’ lives, revealing secrets that not even their adults of reference know. One of the most successful aspects of the series is certainly its cast, composed mostly of young actors, many of whom are at first experience on set.
This aspect helps to create a unique chemistry between the protagonists, who, despite not having a long career behind them, manage to convey a rare authenticity and freshness. Their spontaneous presence on the screen allows the audience to experience the story told immediately, and to experience a stronger connection with the characters. Younger viewers will easily be able to identify with Elena, Vanessa, and their friends, while older viewers will easily recall the emotions, dramas, and dreams typical of adolescence. The soundtrack of Adoration is a key element that amplifies the emotional strength of the narrative, immersing us even more in the lives of its young protagonists. Supervised by Fabri Fibra, the soundtrack combines fresh and contemporary songs that dialogue perfectly with the inner world of the characters. To make everything even more engaging, there are pieces like the unreleased Madame, Ghost Town, which already from the trailer captures the soul of the series with an atmosphere suspended between restlessness and hope. This mix of sounds not only accompanies but enriches each scene, transforming the soundtrack into a parallel narration that vibrates to the rhythm of the feelings of its protagonists.
Adoration Series Review: The Last Words
Adoration is a coming-of-age story that intertwines the mystery of disappearance with the turmoil of adolescence, set in the suffocating and evocative setting of the Italian province. Thanks to a young cast, their first experience on set, and a contemporary soundtrack, the series manages to involve the viewer, albeit with some narrative slowness. It is undeniable that the premise of Adoration, as well as its location and, even more, its characters, are particularly captivating. The series presents itself in all respects as a traditional coming of age to which a strong mystery thriller component is added. The final sensation, however, is that of an investigation that is far too light on the reality of reference that struggles to bypass the comforting naivety typical of teen drama, missing the opportunity to offer a product that perhaps would have deserved a different maturity and sensitivity.
Cast: Alice Lupparelli, Beatrice Puccilli, Penelope Raggi, Federico Russo
Created By: Alice Urciolo
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3/5 (three stars)
