Is Baby Reindeer Based on a True Story?

The latest Netflix series to capture the attention of the masses is Baby Reindeer. The show is sitting at number one on the streaming service’s Global Top 10 list, and it seems everyone is obsessing over the title right now. If you’re wondering what the fuss is about, here’s a quick guide to Baby Reindeer and what you can expect from watching it.

Baby Reindeer story: What’s it about?

As you may have already heard, Baby Reindeer is based on a one-man show by actor and writer Richard Gadd. The story follows a struggling comedian, Donny, as he meets a woman named Martha, who proceeds to harass and severely stalk him.

The series synopsis reads as follows:

Based on a compelling true story, the hit 2019 Edinburgh Fringe one-man stage-play Baby Reindeer follows the writer and performer Richard Gadd’s warped relationship with his female stalker and the impact it has on him as he is ultimately forced to face a deep, dark buried trauma.

It’s worth noting ahead of watching the series that it does deal with some fairly heavy themes, such as sexual assault, in addition to stalking.

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Is Baby Reindeer a true story?

Yes, the Baby Reindeer series is based on a true story. The events that inspired both Gadd’s one-man show and the Netflix series were true events that occurred in his life.

In a recent interview with Variety, Gadd shared that the show’s story is “all emotionally 100% true, if that makes sense. It’s all borrowed from instances that happened to me and real people that I met. But of course, you can’t do the exact truth, for both legal and artistic reasons.”

And while the characters have been altered to protect the identities of the people involved in the story, fans have been enthusiastic in their search to find the real people behind Baby Reindeer. So much so that Gadd made a plea for audiences to stop.

The intensity of the situation has driven some to question the dangers of crime dramas inspired by truth, audiences seeking to find the people behind these stories, and concerns about people being wrongly accused by fans on the internet.

In addition to all that, an unnamed woman who alleges she is the inspiration for the character of Martha has come forward, speaking with the Daily Mail. This individual told the outlet that she feels she is the victim of bullying.

“He’s using Baby Reindeer to stalk me now,” she claimed.

“I’m the victim. He’s written a bloody show about me.”

Where to watch Baby Reindeer

As we touched on earlier, you can find all seven episodes of Baby Reindeer streaming on Netflix Australia now.

Who is in the cast line up?

Moving on the cast of Baby Reindeer, Richard Gadd plays Donny (inspired by himself), Nava May plays Teri, Jessica Gunning takes on the role of Martha (Donny’s stalker), Hugh Coles is Francis, and Danny Kirrane plays Gino.

Baby Reindeer reviews

If you’re wondering whether this series is worth your time, Baby Reindeer is currently sitting at 97 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes — comfortably fresh.

Craig Mathieson of The Age wrote that the show is, “A horror story couched in the recesses of comedy, it’s a painful, compelling viewing experience. The line between wanting to know what happens and wanting to back away is thin and dangerously sharp; Gadd never settles for anything less.”

Trailers

If you’d like a peek at Baby Reindeer, you can watch the main trailer for the series below:

And if you’d like to check out some other thrillers you can watch on Netflix, here’s a list of some other titles worth your time.

Lead Image Credit: Netflix