--- title: "Baby Reindeer: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/baby-reindeer/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/baby-reindeer" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Baby Reindeer (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 8 reviews: 6 positive, 0 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics come away shaken and impressed. The reviews agree that Richard Gadd’s account of being stalked is honest to the point of discomfort, and that its refusal to make him a tidy victim is the point rather than a flaw. Praise clusters on the fourth episode, which several reviews single out as the hour dealing with abuse and assault, and on Jessica Gunning’s performance as Martha, which even the sceptics admire. The reservations are about shape. Two of the eight dissent sharply, both finding the series gruelling as drama: The Telegraph argues the voiceover gives away its stage origins and that it lags, while The Guardian finds it relentlessly bleak and frustrating in scope across seven episodes. The Times, broadly positive, also thinks it runs a couple of episodes too long. The spread is wide, with nothing in the middle. ## Radio Times Rating 5/5. 11 April 2024. The soul-baring seven-part series is a gripping emotional rollercoaster that paints a horrifying picture of abuse, drug dependency and sexual assault in its standout fourth episode. It is one of the most powerful pieces of television of the year and an early contender for show of 2024. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/baby-reindeer-review-netflix/) ## Variety — Aramide Tinubu Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2024. The compelling and unsettling miniseries untangles the nuances of Gadd's emotions, his stalker's temperament and past incidents that shaped his frame of mind. It is a rare gem on television: shocking, hilarious, painful and devastating while unpacking the frailties of human emotion and mental illness. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/tv/reviews/baby-reindeer-review-richard-gadd-1235975310/) ## The i Paper — Rachael Healy Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 April 2024. The series complicates the stalker narrative and deconstructs the idea of a 'perfect victim' through Gadd's introspective narration and unflinching look at his experiences. It challenges perceptions of victims and raises urgent questions about support for the mentally ill and stalking victims. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/baby-reindeer-review-stalkers-3000080) ## Empire — David Opie Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 April 2024. Gadd revisits his most difficult moments with unflinching honesty and self-condemnation, blurring moral lines in unpredictable ways while highlighting the tragedy of shame, mental illness and inept policing. It is not an easy watch by any means, but a vital one rooted in comedy yet profoundly moving and disturbing. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/baby-reindeer/) ## The Times — Hugo Rifkind Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 April 2024. The troubling, different and really good series explores a world of dopamine hits and prurient obsessions. It praises staggering moments of redemption and emotional impact but notes it may be a couple of episodes too long. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/baby-reindeer-review-what-if-you-had-a-stalker-and-liked-it-hl0tk2m2t) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 April 2024. The series is a tense, creepily filmed adaptation of Gadd’s play about stalking that builds into a relentlessly bleak self-loathing horror. It singles out Jessica Gunning’s knockout performance as Martha and the disturbing fourth episode for particular praise while noting it becomes frustrating in scope. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/11/netflix-baby-reindeer-review-features-the-most-chilling-tv-episode-of-the-entire-year) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 April 2024. Richard Gadd’s stage show becomes gruelling but compelling TV as a psychological death spiral and public therapy session. It praises the honesty of the self-combusting portrait but complains that voiceover betrays its stage roots and it lags as drama. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2024/04/11/baby-reindeer-netflix-review-richard-gadd/) ## Collider — Therese Lacson Rating 9/10. 23 April 2024. The critic calls it an autobiographical masterpiece that skillfully explores trauma and obsession in seven episodes. Intense performances, especially by Gadd and Jessica Gunning as the complex Martha, make it a must-watch despite heavy themes. [Read the review](https://collider.com/baby-reindeer-netflix-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/baby-reindeer.md