Baby Reindeer, a new dark comedy thriller series, has recently landed on Netflix and has made a huge impact on viewers.
Written by, created by and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, the show centres around Donny – an aspiring Scottish stand-up who moved to London to pursue his career dream.
Now in his late 20s and working a dead-end job in a pub though, he feels like a failure.
So, when an older female patron at his bar named Martha (Jessica Gunning) laughs at his jokes and shows an interest in him, he is at first pleased with the attention – endeavouring to get more positive reactions out of her.
It turns out, however, the seemingly friendly Martha has a history of stalking and winds up forming a dangerous obsession with Donny.
Adapted from Gadd’s hit one-man play of the same name and based on true events that happened to the writer and performer, Baby Reindeer has found a huge fanbase after hitting Netflix.
For those who have already binged the whole thing, though, a TV-shaped hole has been left in their lives.
However, lots of people have already found the perfect replacement, and it is even more critically acclaimed.
I May Destroy You has been named one of the best shows of the 21st century by outlets such as the BBC and GQ.
Starring Michaela Coel, the show tells the story of a young writer who has to rebuild her life after being raped. Coel has previously spoken about how the show is inspired by her own experience of being drugged and sexually assaulted while writing her sitcom Chewing Gum.
Viewers have found similarities between I May Destroy You and Baby Reindeer, with many pointing to the autobiographical nature and subject matter as some of the reasons the shows are so revered.
“I stayed up last night binge watching Baby Reindeer on Netflix. It’s definitely up there with I May Destroy You for me in terms of being one of the few pieces of media I’ve seen that accurately depicts how incredibly messy being a victim/survivor is,” one person wrote.
“Baby Reindeer keeping me up. Haven’t felt this way about a series since I May Destroy You. Riveting, unsettling and revelatory all at once,” another said.
A third put: “#BabyReindeer on Netflix is the bravest piece of autobiographical fiction I’ve seen since Michaela Cole’s “I May Destroy You.” Don’t know if I’ve seen anything like it.”
“The closest thing to Baby Reindeer is I May Destroy You — two powerful, beautiful, transformative works of art that capture trauma, grief, abuse and every shade of joy, heartbreak, anger, love, shame and catharsis that exist within each,” a fourth penned.
Read more:
