Is Netflix's Eric Based On A True Story?

Summary Eric on Netflix immerses viewers in a gritty, realistic drama inspired by 1980s missing-persons cases.

Though not true stories, Edgar and Marlon's disappearances in Eric feel hauntingly similar to real events.

Writer Abi Morgan captures the era's unsettling vibe in Eric, using other details of the decade to fully bring it to life.

Netflix's limited series, Eric, chronicles the search for two missing children, and it may leave viewers wondering if Benedict Cumberbatch's new show is based on a true story. Eric has the gritty feeling of a true crime drama, as it centers on two devastating disappearances. Detective Michael Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III) attempts to track down Edgar Anderson — and doing so pushes him to return to an earlier investigation that involves police corruption and a nightclub's sex trafficking ring.

The realistic 1980s setting of Eric makes the story even more believable, and the cast of the Netflix series fully immerses viewers in its narrative. While it's obvious that Vincent Anderson's (Cumberbatch) storyline — complete with a comical talking puppet — is fabricated for television, one could easily see the children's disappearances being rooted in reality. By the time viewers reach Eric's ending, they may be wondering what inspired the Netflix series in the first place.

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Netflix's Eric Is Not Based On A True Story

Edgar Anderson & Marlon Rochelle Aren't Based On Real Cases

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Although Netflix's Eric uses real history to bring its story to life, the central cases Detective Ledroit investigates throughout the series aren't based on true stories. Edgar Anderson and Marlon Rochelle aren't real people, even if their disappearances resemble many other missing-persons cases from the '80s. Eric accurately captures the time period it's set in, from the AIDS epidemic to the increased rates of homelessness. Through these details, the Netflix series gives Ledroit's investigations a believable backdrop. However, the characters, mysteries, and resolutions are creations of the show.

The Netflix series gives Ledroit's investigations a believable backdrop. However, the characters, mysteries, and resolutions are creations of the show.

As it turns out, series writer Abi Morgan wanted to chronicle the time period over any real-life investigations. "I don’t think it was ever based on one specific case," Morgan explained to RadioTimes.com, "but I think in choosing to go back to that time, I wanted to go back to that very vivid period in history where, obviously, there were those cases." Anyone familiar with the '80s will recall the highly publicized abductions and subsequent "stranger danger" craze of the time period. Morgan's script succeeds in taking a snapshot of what this was like, especially in a massive city like New York.

Eric Draws Inspiration From Multiple Missing-Persons Cases

That's Why The Netflix Show's Narrative Feels So Familiar

Image via Netflix

Rather than bringing one true story to the small screen, Netflix's Eric draws inspiration from multiple missing-persons cases while weaving its narrative. Edgar and Marlon may not be based on real people, but their disappearances are similar to actual cases. During her interview with RadioTimes.com, Morgan recalled how "haunting" it was to see "the milk carton kids" that disappeared during the '80s. Marlon becomes one of those children, with his face plastered on posters and milk cartons throughout Eric. His tragedy feels familiar because it is. Though the names don't match, many families went through such tragedies.

Source: RadioTimes.com

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