Netflix's Baby Reindeer: A masterpiece, different, profoundly brilliant and necessarily uncomfortable
Whenever we talk about unusual things, we certainly can't overlook how Hollywood, or cinema in general, tends to portray mental illness... Undoubtedly, there are certain archetypes that keep repeating themselves, but I am happy to note how things that we accepted in the past, are not so tolerated nowadays. Baby Reindeer is a perfect example of this. It is a miniseries based on the experience of its author and director, Richard Gadd, who also plays the main character in the story. It deals with several things: stalking, bullying and above all, depression, lack of self-esteem, physical violations and the impact of these on a being's life....
So many people have had a lot of problems with Netflix's editorial decision to support certain things in the Woke movement, or to naturalise certain elements within their original stories, but what we see in Baby Reindeer is a vindication of a victim. Be careful with the victimhood of its main character... Let me explain. During the 7 episodes of the series, we can see how the whole story is based on the narration of the main character. What I find fascinating is the level of analysis and introspection that we can observe from the beginning.
Despite the miniseries' good marketing, I confess, I watched it with a lot of scepticism. However, the quality of the script is its best attribute. Based on real events, which unfortunately happened to the original author of the work, and which is something that although we can intuit in the trailer, it is no less true that it has beautiful plot twists and a strength that lies above all in the play of emotions. As an audience, there are two things we can't help but notice: the gloomy and somewhat sinister atmosphere that the series inspires, and on the other hand, the cruel, sarcastic and cold side of English productions.
On top of this, the other components that the script develops are also powerful. Like how common it might be to be the victim of a serial stalker, or the value of our privacy and how exposed we really live, without even knowing it. Also, the masochism and the component of inflicted emotional self-harm is something that, in my opinion, totally sets this series apart from any other. I think, they have been the only ones to be able to develop these premises well. Normally, the co-responsibility for blame in a story is spread across the archetypes: villains, heroes, protagonist-antagonists; but here the value of nuance is much more essential.
Its subtlety in seeing how a mind, and above all, a person, can be capable of normalising such alarming issues is simply cinematic; fascinating. I think it is this narrative and human freshness that makes it so uncomfortable but at the same time indispensable. I don't think Baby Reindeer has attracted mostly negative reviews anywhere. And I also believe, it's because it feels real; relatable. We have all suffered at some time, we have all been miserable, cruel but above all, we have all believed that we deserve what we have been made to suffer....
This masterful development of these themes without unnecessary drama is what makes this small but wonderful treasure available on Netflix so masterful. If you haven't had a chance to see it, I definitely recommend that you let yourself be enveloped by the power of script, sound and cinematography that this short story possesses. In an age of remakes, reboots and God knows what else recycled, truly original stories, with substance and value, give another taste: they feel totally different. Sometimes the mainstream can be quality: Baby Reindeer is both, without a doubt.