Netflix's Best New Show Came Out Of Nowhere And Now Has 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

The following article contains mention of stalking and sexual assault

Summary Baby Reindeer is based on Richard Gadd's real-life experience with a stalker, evolving from a one-man show to a Netflix series.

The series has a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, praised for its blend of comedy, tension, and emotional vulnerability.

Jessica Gunning's performance as Martha is highlighted as a strong element, balancing sympathy and haunting qualities effectively.

Baby Reindeer is a surprise critical hit for Netflix, with the drama earning a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The seven-episode Netflix show, which riffs on the true events of show creator/star Richard Gadd's personal life, has garnered an impressive response from critics. The series is based on the one-man show Gadd premiered in 2019, which takes direct cues from Gadd's experience with a stalker.

While the show isn't a direct adaptation of his real-life experiences with a stalker, the show does delve into the situation and emotions Gadd experienced as a result of being followed so thoroughly by his stalker. With the new critically acclaimed series gaining attention on Netflix, it's worth looking at the backstory that built to the cast showcase in Baby Reindeer, which has evolved over the last five years from a one-man theatrical show to a more expansive and fascinating television series.

Related 10 Best Crime Shows on Netflix Netflix has plenty of great crime shows to offer for any amateur sleuth. These are ten of the best available right now.

What Baby Reindeer Is About: Netflix's Great New Show Explained

How Baby Reindeer Takes Inspiration From A True Story

Custom image by Brennan Klein

Baby Reindeer is based on a true story that series creator Richard Gadd experienced in his real life. Baby Reindeer focuses on Donny Dunn, an aspiring comedian and bartender who offers a woman named Martha a free cup of tea at the pub where he works. Unfortunately, Martha quickly becomes obsessed with this stranger who offered her a simple act of kindness. She follows him constantly, bombards him with messages, and hints at a darker side that unnerves Donny. While he attempts to remove her from his life, the situation forces Donny to confront other traumas he has suffered.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Richard Gadd based Baby Reindeer on his own experiences with stalking, taking inspiration from someone he encountered in his real life. As he explained to Vanity Fair, Gadd mined the situation to great effect. The television series pulls largely from the one-man show of the same name. Gadd premiered Baby Reindeer at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and it quickly moved onto larger venues like West End in London. Netflix's Baby Reindeer also takes elements from Gadd's other one-man show Monkey See, Monkey Do, which also dealt with Gadd confronting sexual abuse he experienced earlier in life.

Why Baby Reindeer Has 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

Critics Are United On Baby Reindeer's Strengths

Close

Despite arriving on the streamer with little fanfare, Baby Reindeer has earned an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing, with critics united in their praise for the series. The reviews have cited the show's blend of disarming comedy, uneasy tension, and effective pathos as a major reason behind the show's success. Gadd has received a great deal of praise for his part in the show's emotional vulnerability, with many critics drawing attention to the show's unflinching exploration of his trauma and reaction to it.

Likewise, Jessica Gunning's performance as Martha has been singled out as one of the show's most impressive elements. She brings a sympathetic but haunting edge to Martha, a delicate balancing act that Gadd grounds effectively throughout the seven-episode series. The show's effective shift between tones helps ratchet up the tension without making the story inaccessible or too unrelentingly bleak. Baby Reindeer benefits from a singular vision that is reflective of real life, both in terms of the events that inspired it and in allowing Richard Gadd to open up so fully about himself and his experiences.

Source: Vanity Fair