Print & Features Editor Jess Parker reviews the brand new Netflix show Baby Reindeer, based on the real life experiences of Richard Gadd, dealing with stalking and abuse, that has sparked ongoing controversy about the events it explores
Baby Reindeer is a deeply upsetting and thought-provoking show; an instant must-watch for 2024. Currently Netflix’s number one show in both the UK and the US, the limited series is a fictionalised retelling of true events that happened to the show’s writer, Richard Gadd. Gadd plays a fictionalised version of himself in Donny Dunn, a hard-on-his-luck comedian and bartender, who is relentlessly stalked and abused by the ever-present Martha (Jessica Gunning). Gadd’s real-life experiences are a harrowing yet necessary insight into forms of abuse and harassment that are less present within contemporary narratives, existing in both physical and virtual landscapes as they consume a victim’s every waking minute. The types of abuse that Baby Reindeer covers are rarely told on such a global platform, especially when the traditional archetypes of abuse between men and women are reversed
Richard Gadd is an incredibly brave man. His story is almost unbelievable, but what is harder to believe is that someone would have themselves re-live their own trauma in pursuit of semi-fictionalising it. The portion of Gadd’s life that Baby Reindeer adapts is so complex, layered with loss and abuse that interweaves itself into every fragment of life. The types of abuse that Baby Reindeer covers are rarely told on such a global platform, especially when the traditional archetypes of abuse between men and women are reversed.
The show is beautifully shot, with cinematographers Krzysztof Trojnar and Annika Summerson taking full advantage of the eerie mood and distorting environments that Donny’s chosen haunts all seem to embody. Baby Reindeer is unsettling not just in its narrative themes, but in the sense of isolated dread that Donny’s proxemics and surroundings constantly exude, placing him front and centre, stuck in the middle of it. unsettling not just in its narrative themes, but in the sense of isolated dread that Donny’s proxemics and surroundings constantly exude
Jessica Gunning is reminiscent of Cathy Bates’ Annie Wilkes (Misery, 1991) as Donny’s stalker, Martha. From their very first meeting, Martha’s presence is greatly felt. Her ability to instantly sink her claws into him and affect his day-to-day movements is a horrifying examination of the ways in which abuse can change a person. Her portrayal is vicious yet pitiful, treading the line between villain and victim of her actions. The woman is obsessed and dangerous yet appears trapped within her own skewed ideals of longing and romance. Martha is not a nice woman; however, you can tell that her actions stem from something deeply troubled within her psyche. Gunning’s performance effortlessly captures the complexities of such an intricately difficult antagonist. the show has sparked great online discourse surrounding the ethics of keeping dangerous people anonymous, and the ethics of internet sleuths tracking down their true identities
Baby Reindeer and Gadd himself have sought to insist on anonymity concerning the real-life people that are fictionalised within the show. In keeping their identities as concealed as possible, the show has sparked great online discourse surrounding the ethics of keeping dangerous people anonymous, and the ethics of internet sleuths tracking down their true identities. These armchair detectives have gone so far in their accusations that a police probe has begun concerning a man who believes that he is being falsely accused of being one of Gadd’s abusers. Sean Foley contacted police after the allegations, referencing a range of “defamatory, abusive and threatening” online posts directed towards him. Although this is not necessarily the best press for the show, it has highlighted social interest in this kind of narrative and the varying public opinions towards Gadd’s chosen anonymity. Anonymity was something that Donny (Gadd) was never allowed throughout the events of Baby Reindeer, and it is commendable, that even after he was put through hell, he allowed those involved the grace that was always kept out of his reach. It’s the type of TV that you want to consume as quickly as possible, and really, you should
Netflix’s Baby Reindeer is an instant must-watch. It is a mean feat that it was ever made, re-traumatising its writer and star over and over again through pre- to post-production, tackling taboo themes that are often overlooked for the sake of societal norms and expectations of traditional masculinity. It’s the type of TV that you want to consume as quickly as possible, and really, you should. Running across only seven episodes, the show is easily binge-worthy and keeps viewers gripped from start to finish as we watch Donny descend into a pit of seemingly endless abuse and control.
Rating 5/5
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