It is rare to see a series or film of happiness and good fortune based on a true story on Netflix, and for those searching for the type of vibe, skip over the streamer’s hit Adolescence.

The series follows the chaos that is brought upon a family when their 13-year-old son, Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school. Directed by Philip Barantini, the one-shot series includes British star Stephen Graham, who also co-created and executive produced the series alongside co-creator Jack Thorne. Other members of the ensemble include Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty.

Graham spoke with Netflix’s Tudum, explaining the inspiration behind the series: “We could have made a drama about gangs and knife crime or about a kid whose mother is an alcoholic or whose father is a violent abuser,” he said.

He added, “Instead, we wanted you to look at this family and think, ‘My God. This could be happening to us!’ And what’s happening here is an ordinary family’s worst nightmare.”

The series has certainly resonated with families considering its quick success. Of course, some of those viewers are wondering, is Jamie Miller a real-life child murderer?

Keep reading to find out more.

Since the show’s release on March 13, viewers have asked whether Adolescence is based on a true story. According to TUDUM, the story is not exactly true, but rather is based upon a story Graham had heard of where a young boy killed his female classmate.

According to the New York Post, Graham was in the car with Barantini when he planned the series concept, and in an interview with The Wrap, Barantini explained why he agreed with the storyline: “That was the seed that we wanted to explore, and send a bit of a message and maybe spark a bit of a conversation.”

Graham also asked Tudum, “What is happening to our young men these days, and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet, and social media?”

The series hopes to create a dialogue surrounding the pressures put on young men and the sometimes violent results.

The series addresses the worsening issue of adolescent violence, bringing the harsh reality to the screen; the creators were motivated to develop a dialogue within society to help discover why this is happening. They achieved this by showing that even though it is not entirely based on a true story, details of it are very real, making viewers uncomfortable.

Adolescence is now streaming on Netflix.