The Netflix series “My Little Reindeer” has enjoyed dazzling success thanks to word of mouth. Its strong story is inspired by true events, with a few differences.
It's the hit that no one expected. Released discreetly on April 11, 2024, the series Mon Petit Renne has become the most viewed program on the platform around the world. From April 15 to April 21, 2024, the series achieved 13.3 million views, a very good score for a mini-series released on a Thursday and which was not sold as one of the event programs of the month.
It must be said that the plot of My Little Reindeer is intriguing. Adapted from the true story of its creator Richard Gadd, the series follows a comedian who works in a bar and who quickly becomes the obsession of Martha, a vulnerable and alone woman. The seemingly harmless crush quickly turns into harassment and the stalker goes further and further. Be careful, however, as the series addresses difficult themes, such as sexual violence or addiction.
As said above, My Little Reindeer is directly inspired by the experience of Richard Gadd, creator and main actor of the series. In 2015, when he was in his twenties, he was the victim of an older stalker. But so that she does not recognize herself in the series or that she is not harassed in turn, the actor changed certain events and the names of the protagonists.
Among the main changes made by the Netflix series is the very conclusion of this story. In the series, Martha is arrested and pleads guilty to harassment, receiving nine months in prison and a restraining order for five years. In real life, we don't really know what happened to the real stalker. Richard Gadd assured in the columns of the Times that she did not go to prison but that she was forbidden to contact him. The creator of the series thus assures that he did not want to “throw someone so mentally unstable into prison” but that the situation was “resolved”.
Donny Dunn is a broke comedian who works as a bartender. He meets Martha, a lonely woman who develops an obsession with him. This unhealthy relationship turns into harassment and will have terrible repercussions, forcing him to confront a deeply buried trauma. Inspired by Richard Gadd's award-winning single on stage and presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Mon Petit Renne is a mini-series in seven episodes lasting around thirty minutes. To discover it, you must go exclusively to the Netflix streaming platform. The audiovisual giant is accessible only by subscription. Several offers exist: the standard with advertising (5.99 euros per month), the standard (13.49 euros per month) and the premium (19.99 euros per month).
