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đ Baby Reindeer | đ¤ The Diplomat
26 April 2024
TV
Netflix
Baby Reindeer
Given the title, and the fact that it was created by a former stand-up comedian, youâd be forgiven for assuming Baby Reindeer was a âlight-hearted sitcomâ, says Dan Einav in the FT. In fact, âyouâre unlikely to come across a rawer, more unsettling series this yearâ. Inspired by real events, the hit Netflix show stars Richard Gadd as a fictionalised version of his younger self: a jobbing comedian called Donny, whose life is upended when he becomes the target of stalker Martha (Jessica Gunning). Yet even as she makes his life increasingly miserable, he effectively does nothing to stop her. The question, as Donny keeps asking through this âself-interrogating narrationâ, is: why?
There are no âeasy answersâ, says David Opie in Empire. Moral lines shift and blur âin ways that are as unpredictable and unforgettable as Martha herselfâ. Itâs brilliantly acted: Gadd, who originally told his story in a one-man stage show, is a âconsistently charming presenceâ; Gunning will âbreak your heart one minute and threaten to break your legs the nextâ. Itâs certainly not an easy watch â despite its comedy roots, this is essentially a tragedy, covering everything from âshame and mental illness to inept policing and internalised homophobiaâ. But itâs brave and itâs moving, and well worth a watch.
Baby Reindeer is available on Netflix, here.
Seven episodes.
In case you missed it
Netflix
The Diplomat
Thereâs no shortage of edge-of-your-seat geopolitical thrillers, says Matt Kamen in Wired, but The Diplomat â one of Netflixâs biggest hits of 2023 â is a cut above the rest. Keri Russell plays Kate Wyler, the newly appointed US ambassador to the UK. Expecting âan easy assignment in a friendly countryâ, she finds herself at the centre of an âinternational crisisâ after an attack on a British aircraft carrier â a situation not helped by the antics of her ex-diplomat husband Hal (Rufus Sewell).
Itâs Sewellâs performance that makes the show, says Mike Hale in The New York Times. Hal is âpetulant, childish and arrogantâ, but smart and charming enough to get away with it. Sewell manages to both embody the charm and show us the âflashes of doubt and nobility that redeem himâ. Making a character like this feel so real is a feat âright up there with saving the world from global warâ.
The Diplomat is available to watch on Netflix.
Elsewhere in The Knowledge Premium:
đ The return of a top-notch police drama
â¤ď¸ David Nichollsâs new love story
đď¸ A spell-binding road trip across Iceland