The seven-part drama "Baby Reindeer" has been a hit for Netflix, drawing both critical acclaim and more than 13 million viewers, said Emma Jacobs in the FT. At its heart is "a visceral, complex tale of stalking and sexual violence", loosely based on the real-life experiences of 34-year-old Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, its star and creator.
The story "begins with a small act of kindness", when Donny (Gadd) – an aspiring stand-up comic working in a London pub – sneaks Martha (Jessica Gunning) a free cup of tea. Over the next few months, she carpet-bombs Donny with "love", sending him 41,000 emails and sitting for hours outside his home. The drama has a more nuanced take on stalking than, say, "Fatal Attraction"; and it is punctuated throughout with "dark humour".
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Still, this is a "compelling and unforgettable" series, and Gunning is "truly fantastic" as the stalker. The drama lags a bit, and its over-reliance on voiceover betrays its stage roots, said Benji Wilson in The Daily Telegraph. But there is something undeniably "thrilling" in watching a man who is "introspective to the point of narcissism" self-combust. The series is basically "public therapy" – and the question is: "Do you want to go there?"
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