This English series to binge-watch in less than 4 hours is the most watched in France since its release. She took everyone by surprise by bringing up a serious subject inspired by a true story.
On streaming platforms, there are event series awaited for several months, but also nuggets that take everyone by surprise. This is the case of Netflix’s latest mini-series, a British production in just seven episodes, which has become a huge hit since it was put online in mid-April. It is the most viewed series at the moment on the streaming platform, whether in France or around the world.
In less than 4 hours, this dramatic and sometimes disturbing mini-series, which tackles dark issues, such as sexual violence, harassment and addiction, rose to first place on the Netflix charts. My Little Reindeer above all tells a true story lived by its main actor, who also serves as creator of the program: that of a comedian and bartender who becomes the obsession of a single woman. Quickly, the latter ends up harassing him and attacking him in the worst possible way.
To write the screenplay for My Little Reindeer (which is the nickname given to him by his stalker), Richard Gadd was inspired by his own experience. In 2015, when he was in his twenties, he was the victim of an older stalker he met in a bar. “I simply saw in her someone who was not doing well, who needed help, and who was rather vulnerable,” he explains to Radio Times in an interview. If in the series, his stalker is named Martha (played by Jessica Gunning in the series), the actor has however chosen to change the name and certain events, so as not to have his real stalker recognize the program. Moreover, the ending and the fate reserved for Martha are different from those which were actually experienced by Richard Gadd and the woman who targeted him. In 2019, he declared in the columns of The Independent that he “really wanted us to understand that she is just as much a victim in this story”.
As disturbing as it is, the mini-series in 7 episodes of around thirty minutes each (so less than 4 hours of viewing), has won over Netflix subscribers: “My Little Reindeer is a nugget (but hard to watch). watch for some episodes)” ‘sic), warns one X user, while another says they felt “chills every episode.” “What a powerful testimony. I’m not finished, but I’m back,” commented a follower of the old Twitter. “Never has a series made me so freaked out and uncomfortable, all in 7 episodes,” adds another. The program also received a rating of 4.1/5 from spectators on Allociné. My Little Reindeer is available on the Netflix streaming platform.