Netflix's New Stalker Miniseries is Based on a Terrifying True Story

Summary

• Netflix has a new series based on a true story.
• It's a creepy drama-thriller about a talented comedian who was stalked by a groupie for years.
• The show has received high praise from critics.

From the 1987 psychological thriller Fatal Attraction, starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, to the 2020 sci-fi horror The Invisible Man, starring Elisabeth Moss and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, pop culture has often explored the fear of being perceived and manipulated, raising questions of consent, personal boundaries, and manic obsession. But that's all fiction, no matter how creepy its themes. Much scarier are the stories based on real events, because they show that any charming stranger can turn out to be a frightening lunatic and harasser.

Not long ago, for example, the documentary Lover, Stalker, Killer was released on Netflix, which dealt with the fact that dating can sometimes feel more like a crime thriller than a romantic comedy, as the hero of the story, who met a woman on a dating app, fell into the cruel trap of years of abuse and stalking.

And so yesterday, April 11, the streaming service released a new miniseries that dramatizes the chilling experience of popular Scottish comedian Richard Gadd. Let's find out what the show is all about and what critics and viewers are saying about it.

What Is This New Stalker Miniseries?

The show in question is called Baby Reindeer, created by acclaimed writer and comedian Richard Gadd. The show is a dramatization of Gadd's personal experience of being stalked by a female fan (played by Jessica Gunning in the series) who kept him paranoid for years, collecting his numbers and addresses, harassing him with endless text messages, threatening family and friends, and not being prosecuted by the police in any way, effectively evading the law.

'She had somehow just obtained my mobile number and I was at the peak of my career at that point, having just returned from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where I had won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Monkey See Monkey Do. A show which tackled the sexual abuse I suffered when I first got into the industry. It was a big moment for me. Coming clean with what happened after so many years of suffering in silence,' Gadd wrote in an essay for Netflix. 'But any good feeling in the Fringe’s aftermath was tempered by my phone ringing every single minute of every day where I was met with a whole gamut of Martha’s emotions from hurled insults to deep expressions of love and longing. It was too much for anyone to bear.'

Through all the years of psychological pressure, Gadd desperately hoped that his stalker would still write him something that would be grounds for an arrest warrant. The stalker was eventually ordered by the court to have no contact with Richard, but no further stalking followed, leaving the victim in a constant state of fear.

The series also offers Gadd's deep reflection on the situation and his role in it. According to him, he was not an ideal person himself at the time and only catalyzed a rapprochement with his stalker.

What Are the Critics' and Viewers' Reactions to the Series?

Even though the show was only released on Netflix yesterday, it has already received rave reviews. In fact, at the time of this writing, it has a perfect 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many have commented on how disturbing and explicit this psychological thriller is, telling not only the experience of being threatened, but also how one's mind is completely taken over by paranoia. It is a highly mature and provocative story in which Richard Gadd provides both chilling revelations and moments of humorous self-irony.

All 8 episodes of the new miniseries are available on Netflix.

Source: Netflix.