Real-life Netflix thriller with perfect Rotten Tomatoes score has viewers 'blown away'

Netflix fans have hailed a new thriller, based on a true story, as 'the best thing' on TV 'for years.' Baby Reindeer is currently the most-watched TV series on the streamer in the UK.

It's the real-life story of comedian and stalking victim Richard Gadd, who not only created the series, but stars as barman and moonlighting comic Donny Dunn too. While pulling pints in a London pub, he meets Martha - an apparently broke lawyer who can't even afford a cup of tea.

As an act of kindness, Donny offers her the drink on the house. That's where it all starts to go wrong. Martha, played by The Outlaws' Jessica Gunning, begins stalking Donny. And at times, Donny almost encourages it - flirting back with her and somewhat playing into her delusions.

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As her obsession grows, she pelts him with thousands of emails and eventually leaves him hundreds of hours worth of voice mails. Donny begins to learn about her sinister past, while viewers get an insight into Donny's troubling backstory too. He's had some harrowing experiences while trying to make it big in comedy, while battling other personal struggles.

The seven-part series, which released on April 11, has already racked up a perfect 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score from critics on the review site. Empire Magazine's David Opie described the series as a 'brave, moving, and often disturbing watch that's rooted in comedy'.

London Evening Standard's Vicky Jessop said the protagonists' relationship is 'fascinating to watch in the same way that a car crash is, spiralling out to infect everything around it even as the show digs deeper into their backstories.'

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, fans were quick to praise the series. One viewer said Baby Reindeer had knocked off Breaking Bad from its 11-year stint as their favourite ever TV show.

@annemarie_akin wrote: "I wasn’t prepared for Baby Reindeer. From the minute it starts to the very end I was truly captivated. It was triggering, uncomfortable, awkward and hilarious at times. A masterpiece". @Dylucks said: "Breaking Bad has been my favourite TV show since the final episode in 2013, today it has been dethroned by #BabyReindeer. Sat at my couch utterly blown away by this show!!!"

@itssmayraaa said: "#BabyReindeer is insane but the fact that 1) it’s a true story 2) the main actor is the actual victim of the true story in real life makes it that much CRAZIER" as @l0ttiehall wrote: "#BabyReindeer is the best thing I’ve watched on tv for years. Absolutely insane, so much happens, and the fact it is a true story played by the REAL man?! I don’t know how he was able to put himself in the place he was to make this. Unbelievable".

Scottish comedian Gadd told Netflix Tudum of the limited series: “I didn’t want it to be a victim narrative. I think there was a version of the show where I hid from my own mistakes a bit, and I offered her this cup of tea and I’m a perfect, nice guy.

"But I made mistakes. And I think art is quite interesting when you don't know who you are on the side of. You sort of feel sorry for Martha, but then you feel sorry for Donny, and then you feel sorry for her again, then you hate her and you hate him.”

All seven episodes of Baby Reindeer are available to watch now on Netflix.