Dir. Weronika Tofilska & Josephine Bornebusch | Now Streaming On Netflix | Rating: 5/5

I’ve reviewed my fair share of horror adjacent titles – thrillers, dark fantasies, and even a tragicomedy or two (looking at you Ari Aster). The definition of what we consider horror expands with every new release. Baby Reindeer may not call itself a horror miniseries, but it’s impossible to ignore the unshakable darkness and intimately human fear that bleeds from every episode. A master class in layered and raw storytelling, Baby Reindeer shook me to my core and has kept me sleepless since I watched its credits roll. 

Based on the true story of comedian Richard Gadd, Reindeer begins to unfold as a dark comedy about the initially unlikable and strange Donny and his escapades with a stalker. Its twists and turns quickly take us deep into the bowels of the human psyche, unpacking the genuine fear we all feel at night when the lights go out. What are we supposed to do when we hate the person we are at the end of the day? How far will you go to feel the rush of being good enough for someone – just one more time?

This miniseries feels like a darker, harsher sister to one of my favorite films of all time – Mysterious Skin (2004). Like Mysterious Skin, Reindeer displays one of the most competent and emotionally vulnerable interpretations of PTSD and trauma that I have ever seen in the media. As a viewer, you watch in horror as Donny self sabotages. You root for him and you hate him at the same time. Donny has quickly joined the ranks of soul characters for me – ones that I feel so deeply in my own identity, that I see myself in them. 

As a trauma holder, this piece has a personal connection for me. But from a critical standpoint, this storytelling is unmatched. Its ability to skillfully pace and unveil its secrets is stunning. Dare I say this is one of the best written shows to grace Netflix in years. For scares, Reindeer peels back our human skin to reveal the darkness and evil that lurks beneath it. You won’t see slashers and ghosts, but you will face the reckoning that some people come into our lives to show us cruelty, and nothing more. And at the end of the night, we are left with the wreckage. 

A deeply upsetting, sickening, but captivating watch. Watch with caution, but be prepared to be blown away. 

Know Before You Watch: Features extreme sexual violence, blood, substance use, sex.