I am not one to binge-watch TV shows, but I find watching several films throughout the week difficult these days. I want to give it space to process it emotionally and evaluate it in my media nerd way. You don’t need to do this for every film, especially some of the trash I watch. However, occasionally, a piece of media comes along that deserves your undivided attention and hooks you in; enter Baby Reindeer.
I went into this show believing it was a comedy about a woman who gets a bit obsessed with a man…. Oh, how naive was I?
Baby Reindeer tells the story of barman and struggling comedian Donny, who, one day, offers a crying woman a cup of tea, unaware that the single act of kindness would set off a dangerous obsession. Written, produced and starring Richard Gadd, the show is based on his one-man stage production ‘Baby Reindeer’, written about Gadd’s real-life experience with a woman who stalked him physically and virtually over 5 years. The series explores themes of stalking, assault, sexuality, trauma and sexual abuse in a sincere way.
The show also stars Jessica Gunning, who plays Donny’s stalker Martha. Truly incredible performances from Gadd and Gunning, navigating the viewer into hating Martha one moment and empathising with her the next whilst simultaneously making us scream at Donny whilst crying with him. The intellect and witty writing indeed emphasise’ the terror and suffocating experience of having a stalker.
Described as a dark comedy, this show is an emotional roller coaster. The juxtaposition of the comedy and gut-wrenching writing leaves you feeling emotionally manipulated, poignantly and brilliantly. It got me laughing out loud and ugly crying, and at one point, it got me so tense that I forgot to swallow and dribbled on my clenched fists.
When we see storylines of stalking in media, they are often very linear; person A gets obsessed with person B with very clean “A is Evil and B is Good”. Baby Reindeer is a vulnerable and raw portrayal of how isolating trauma is. It explores the warped relationships people can fall into with their abusers, the complexities of trauma and attachment and the conflict and shame that come with that. It is an incredibly nuanced story with flawed and relatable characters.
The series is wonderfully shot and edited, combining a fast pace with quieter moments that allow viewers to take it all in (or leave them holding their breath).
It is difficult to review this show without any spoilers. When we discuss trauma and abuse, it is easy to view things in an analogue way. The show’s exploration of loneliness, attachment, and the unhealthy places we seek comfort (and the validating people we find there) means it will be received in very different ways.
Baby Reindeer is funny, heartbreaking, harrowing and simply brilliant. Avoid internet spoilers and give yourself a chance to make up your own mind about it.
The 7-episode mini-series is now available on Netflix.
By Alice Bizarre
Image C/O Netflix
Click On the Image to Watch the Trailer:
