Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer wasted no time in breaking records for Netflix. Though the series seemed unassuming, any viewer can tell you it packs a punch.
Based on the account of a particularly harrowing part of Gadd’s life, Baby Reindeer throws its main character through the wringer. Gadd portrays himself in the series, though he changes his onscreen persona to Donny. While struggling to make it as a stand-up comedian, Donny makes a once-in-a-lifetime mistake at the bar where he works. He meets a woman named Martha (Jessica Gunning), who is in a vulnerable state. Donny performs a kind act, not realizing the floodgates are about to be thrown open with devastating force.
Martha takes this act the wrong way and soon starts stalking Donny. Baby Reindeer does a remarkable job of not portraying the characters in terms of absolutes. While Martha is the aggressor in many respects, she also has shades of grey. In turn, Donny isn’t perfect and finds himself — in many ways — seduced by the situation. Perhaps because Baby Reindeer is based in reality, it can delve into the complex nuances of what people are like — for better or worse. This fact is also what makes the series feel so dangerous.
How scary is Baby Reindeer?
There are many fictionalized entries into the world of stalking, but somehow, Baby Reindeer feels different. Though the audience understands that Gadd made it out alive, there is no accounting for what happens in the series. And that is what makes it so terrifying. Viewers should be warned that the series isn’t for the faint of heart.
While Martha doesn’t kill anyone or put Donny’s life in immediate danger, that doesn’t diminish any anxiety. There really is no telling what she will do next, and it should be noted, that she ultimately does resort to violence. When she feels that her status in Donny’s life is being threatened, she lashes out. Her first big act of violence is against his girlfriend, Teri (Nava Mau), after a tense confrontation in a bar.
Martha’s actions escalate as the series progresses, and she eventually attacks Donny as well. But it is her non-violent acts that are arguably the most frightening. She is a terrifying figure because of how easily she operates outside of the law. As Donny comes to realize, Martha is essentially a professional stalker with a background in law. She knows how to evade the system and makes Donny look worse.
Martha gets away with harassing his parents because law enforcement can’t include that infraction in Donny’s original complaint against her. She befriends his landlady and heckles him at his comedy shows. It is the emotional violence that is the most terrifying about Baby Reindeer. The only blanket of comfort is knowing that somehow, Donny — and Gadd — make it out in one piece.