Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer tiptoed onto Netflix without much fanfare or bluster. Judging by the name alone, it appeared like a spinoff of Sweet Tooth or something about Christmas, but no one could have anticipated the visceral and hard-hitting show based on Gadd’s real-experiences of being sexually assaulted and stalked. The seven-episode limited series stormed the streaming charts and had everyone talking, including Stephen King who penned a gushing essay about the equally absorbing and unsettling story. As a matter of fact, when all is said and audited by the end of 2024, Baby Reindeer will go down as the scariest horror of the year for its disturbing portrayal of trauma.

‘Baby Reindeer’ shows how easy it is to ruin someone’s life.

Films and shows about stalkers are a dime a dozen. They almost always follow the same premise: A person becomes infatuated with another and crosses all boundaries within the first act. However, Baby Reindeer paints a more detailed and thorough picture of Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning). Her friendship with Donny Dunn (Gadd) forms because of an act of kindness and they appear to genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Martha and Donny only hit the first wobble when Martha lets on that she wants them to be more than friends and refuses to take no for an answer. 

Martha’s behavior becomes more intrusive (and aggressive) as time passes, but it isn’t until Donny tries to put distance between them that she goes into overdrive. From there, she invades and destroys every facet of his life–his home, work, hobbies, friends, romantic partners, and even his family. What’s terrifying to witness is how easy it is for her to do this without consequence–but Donny needs to deal with the fallout. He needs to move out because others feel unsafe, his relationship with Teri (Nava Mau) falls apart, and he must reveal intimate details about his life to his parents, including coming out about his sexuality, because of Martha’s threats. Donny loses complete control of his life, and it’s scary to see how Martha is able to orchestrate it all as a means to isolate and ostracize him from others.

A terrifying display of gaslighting and victim shaming.

One of the most heart-wrenching aspects of Baby Reindeer centers around the emotional fragility of Donny. His raw monologue in the sixth episode reveals his low level of self-esteem and high degree of self-loathing, as he feels guilty and partially responsible for the crimes inflicted on him by Darrien O’Connor (Tom Goodman-Hill) and Martha. None of this is aided by the victim shaming and gaslighting he experiences from others.

Baby Reindeer begins with Donny reporting Martha to the police and the first question he’s met with is: Why did it take you so long to report it? This attitude prevails as a recurring theme throughout the series, as Donny experiences shame for the harmful acts inflicted upon him. It shouldn’t matter how long it takes someone to report a crime; however, it’s this type of second-guessing and rash judgment that prevents victims from coming forward. The authorities, in particular, let him down by failing to take Donny’s complaints seriously when he approaches them. It’s unacceptable for someone to bomb an email address hundreds of times a day, but the police shrug him off and tell him to come back when he has something more concrete. Their only advice? Don’t let her get your phone number…

This all plays into the isolation and trauma that Donny grapples with, as no one takes his concerns seriously and he needs to face it on his own.

An exploration of the harrowing after-effects of trauma.

In most horror movies or shows, frightening events happen, the characters overcome, and they carry on with their lives afterward. Sure, they might look over their shoulder more often than before, but they appear to move on fairly quickly. Baby Reindeer takes a more realistic approach, demonstrating how it isn’t simple to shake off trauma. Instead, it seeps into other areas of life and takes over, suffocating the victim with complicated emotions and behavioral responses.

Darrien’s abuse changed Donny. Like a black cloud, it lingers over his head and fractures his ability to connect with others, while also breaking down his own self-worth. At one point, he even admits how Martha’s flattery made him feel good, so that’s why he struggled to go to the police for so long. As a victim of abuse, Donny proves to be an easy target for Martha, as she preys on his vulnerabilities. It’s only when he opens up about his past trauma and what it’s done to him that he’s able to deal with his stalker issue. Yet, this isn’t the end of the story or some magical happy ending where everything is suddenly fine, as Donny realizes that Martha – before she was an abuser – was likely a victim, too. It’s a devastating moment where the cycles of abuse become all too clear for all to witness and ponder.