The Girl From Plainville, a true-crime series starring Elle Fanning, will finally air for UK viewers on Channel 4 tonight. The eight-part limited series, which aired in the US in March lat year, is based on the Esquire article of the same name, The Girl From Plainville, by author Jesse Barron, and follows the shocking true story of Michelle Carter's highly-published unprecedented "texting-suicide" case. The 17-year-old was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after sending text messages encouraging a young man, who was believed to be her boyfriend, named Conrad "Coco" Roy III to take his own life.
We're excited to see Elle Fanning, most famous for her lead role alongside Nicholas Hoult in The Great, take on the complex and difficult role of Michelle. We expect the show will give a greater insight into this real-life case which takes a deeper look into the impact of social media and mental health when it comes to modern-day crime.
In an interview with American ELLE ahead of the show's US release, the actor commented of he role: “I do remember paying attention to the case because it was people around my age, and it was a very modern story that could only happen now, because it was all about phones."
She added that she felt able to empathise with the tragic character of Michelle: "And I could relate to that feeling of false reality that we create for ourselves, and the instant gratification. In high school, I had social media and phones and you’re waiting for that text back; your whole world is on your phone. I mean, my whole world is still on my phone. So I could understand how the lines of fantasy and reality were blurred, which we play with a lot in the show.”
So what else is there to know about The Girl From Plainville? From its plot, cast, trailer and release date, GLAMOUR has you covered…
What is the plot of The Girl From Plainville?
The Girl From Plainville is based on a real story that hit the global headline. Back in 2014, a teenage boy named Conrad Roy from a small town in Boston, Massachusetts, tragically took his own life after poisoning himself with carbon monoxide fumes in his truck in a K-Mart parking lot. Shortly after, 17 year old Michelle was found to have sent Conrad several text messages encouraging him to take his own life.
The series follows Michelle's relationship with Conrad and the events that led to his death. There is a huge emphasis on the trial that ensued, where prosecutors used Michelle's text messages to Conrad to support the stance that she had driven him to take his own life.
Michelle's controversial conviction for involuntary manslaughter in 2017, as well as how ill-prepared the judicial system is to deal with modern-day crimes, is also covered.
Who stars in The Girl From Plainville?
Elle Fanning takes on the role of Michelle, while Colton Ryan plays Conrad "Coco" Roy III.
The role of Michelle's parents is played by Stranger Things' Cara Buono and Green Room star Kai Lennox. Conrad's parents are played by Boys Don't Cry star Chloë Sevigny and Bloodline actor Norbert Leo Butz.
Is there a trailer for The Girl From Plainville?
There is! Hulu recently released a full-length trailer showing two investigators talking about how Michelle texted her friends for three days, telling them she didn't know where her boyfriend Conrad was, despite being in contact with him until his suicide.
Scenes also show Michelle giving a speech at a benefit for Conrad before her exposed text messages land her in a highly scrutinised trial, where photographers hound her.
When asked what her motive was for sending Conrad those texts, Michelle ominously says: You don't get it. This is our love story."
Elle truly transforms into the role of Michelle, sporting the same side-parted hairstyle she did then, as well as her famous bushy eyebrow.
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Where is Michelle Carter today?
Michelle was released from a Massachusetts jail in January 2020 after serving 11 out of the 15 months. She was released early due to good behaviour.
When will The Girl From Plainville be released in the UK?
The Girl from Plainville airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 4, with the full series available to stream (or binge!) on demand. It was previously only available in the UK for subscribers to Lionsgate+, where it can currently be watched in full.
