ziyah reads … and writes…sometimes

Here, you’ll find my most recent movie review, along with the movies left on my list and the ones I’m excited about seeing in theaters. You may also occasionally find, film theories I create or links to those I like! 🙂

Review of Baby Reindeer

Sorry, not a movie review, but it’s definitely worth a review. I just finished watching this show yesterday and let me tell you, this show captivated me fully! It showcases the themes of empathy, responsibility, mental health, and sexual confusion and takes a voyage through the mind and experiences of this struggling comedian named Donny Dunn, played by Richard Gadd.

I give this show a 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and I think it’s definitely worth the watch!

This show gives the audience an eerie feeling that it’s a romance story but it quickly becomes a thriller, as a customer at the bar Donny Dunn works at becomes obsessed with him. This story also represents true events from the life of the lead actor and writer Richard Gadd.

The way Donny’s inner monologue describes Martha Scott (played by the Stellar actress Jessica Gunning), is in a way of admiration and intrigue. [Example: describing her laugh, how he felt sorry for her, asking her questions about her life, making sexual innuendos and more]

I found myself thinking (at the beginning of the episode) that if this woman was his age and someone he found attractive he might have actually fell in love with her.

As the story continues we realize that Martha is a pathological liar and repeat offender of several counts of stalking, assault, harassment and more. When Donny learns this information he doesn’t go to the police initially and he doesn’t ban her from the bar he works at. At several points he provokes her infatuation with him and by going on a “date” with her.

After episode 4 (TW: Sexual Abuse) we realize why he engages in this behavior. We learn that while he was taking his shot at fame, he was involved in a sexually abusive relationship with a writer on a famous show he wants to work on. With false promises of fame, Donny allows himself to be drugged and sexually assaulted repeatedly and in the end, his story that he wrote for the show never makes it to the big screen.

We realize that due to his sexual confusion from his abuse, mixed his lust for fame and success he becomes addicted to attention. This plays out in his comedy shows as well as his relationships with Martha and with Teri (played by transgender actress Nava Mau).

His relationship with Teri is extremely complex as he meets her on a trans dating website under a false name. He uses a false name, one for anonymity and due to his own “in-closet” status but also to hide Teri from the wrath of Martha.

He learns to love himself through his relationship with Teri, especially after the climax fight between Martha and Teri where Teri is a victim of a hate crime due to Martha’s obsession. This interaction finally prompts Donny to seek help from the police.

The police also dismiss Donny’s concerns and see him as a nuisance rather than a victim. Donny also omits information from the police due to guilt about reporting Martha and not reporting his previous abuser.

Overall, without spoiling anymore of the story, this show bringing a lot of issues to light towards the end. It highlights mental illness, drug abuse, sexual assault, trans visibility, LGBTQ+ rights, as well as police inaction and inadequacies in the legal system.

This story got me thinking about alternative therapies that involve victim and perpetrator interactions and proctored conversations. Especially because of the ending where Donny connects with his perpetrator and seems to move past his trauma in a healthier way. I know it exists and it works for some people where they treat the perpetrator and the victim instead of seeking vengeance or punishment through the legal system, they focus on preventative therapy to treat the sickness causing the perpetrator to abuse others. They also help the victim to move past the victim mindset and address what happened to them so they can discuss their trauma and learn to live with it. I’m not the most knowledgeable on this but I’ve heard of its existence and I wonder what the consensus is on its benefits.

Overall, give it a watch and let me know what you think!

What are some of your favorite show on Netflix? If you watched Baby Reindeer, what did you think, likes/dislikes?

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