Reeling from Baby Reindeer? These are the edge-of-your-seat TV shows and movies to watch next
Gripping, psychologically complex, brilliantly acted – it’s easy to see why Baby Reindeer has been a runaway hit. Based on the real story of how a female stalker bombarded comedian Richard Gadd with thousands of emails, texts and voicemails, the show delves into the thorny territory of obsession, mental health and abuse – and it does so with a refreshingly inquisitive, non-judgmental approach.
“It’s a stalker story turned on its head. It takes a trope and turns it on its head.”
As actor Jessica Gunning, who plays the troubled Martha in the show, recently told us at GLAMOUR, “I think that TV can be trivialised as a mainstream everyday thing, but every now and then stories come along that have the ability to change someone's view on something, move someone, entertain – whatever that is. It's the thing that people turn to in their life, if they're lonely or want company.” Gunning is right – Baby Reindeer does what only the best TV can do. It not only resonates with us on a profound emotional level, it also forces us all to reconsider our own realities.
Now that we’ve all binged the brilliant series, we are all craving another thought-provoking story to sink our teeth into. So, here are some films and TV shows like Baby Reindeer that are ultra tense, brilliantly crafted and offer the perfect follow up to the Netflix hit.
She related ‘deeply’ to her character.
Natalie SeeryI May Destroy You (2020)
Created by powerhouse actor/writer/creator Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You is a gut-wrenching portrayal of one London woman's sexual assault. Across 12 episodes it follows Arabella Essiuedu, who's drink is spiked on a night out and she has no recollection of what happened, that is until the flashbacks begin. It's a tough but poignant watch.
Stream it: BBC iPlayer.
Matt KennedyThe Gift (2015)
Starring Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, and Joel Edgerton (the latter who also wrote, co-produced, and directed the film), The Gift centres on couple Simon and Robyn Callem (Bateman and Hall) who relocate to LA following a miscarriage. There, Simon runs into an old school friend Gordo (Edgerton) who starts to drop into their place unannounced and bring gifts. Things get progressively uneasy as Gordo unending presence starts to send the couple into a tailspin.
Stream it: Amazon Prime.
NetflixThe Stranger (2021)
An eight-part mini-series based on the Harlan Coben book of the same name, The Stranger stars Richard Armitage, Siobhan Finneran, and Hannah John-Kamen. It sees Adam Price (Armitage) approached by a stranger, a woman in her 20s (John-Kamen) who is wearing a baseball cap, who tells him a secret that subsequently results in his wife's disappearance.
Stream it: Netflix.
Warrick PageSwarm (2023)
Created by Janine Nabers and Donald Glover, Swarm follows Dre (Dominique Fishback), a woman who is obsessed with a pop star whose fan base is known as ‘The Swarm’. The mini-series delves into how her fandom can result in some unexpectedly dark acts.
Stream it: Amazon Prime.
20th Century FoxGone Girl (2014)
The film (and novel!) that began a whole wave of unreliable narrator-based psychological thrillers, Gone Girl contains one of our favourite movie plot twists. It follows Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), a teacher who returns home on his fifth wedding anniversary to find his wife (Rosamund Pike) missing, and he soon becomes a suspect.
Stream it: Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime.
James StackStay Close (2021)
Another Harlan Coben mini-series adaptation, Stay Close was released on Netflix in 2021 and sees a photojournalist, a soccer mum, and a homicide detective thrown together after a man goes missing on the anniversary of another local man's disappearance.
Stream it: Netflix.
Mark Mainz/BBC/Red ProductionsTrust Me (2017)
Trust Me stars Jodie Whittaker as a whistleblowing ward sister who steals the identity of a doctor and moved to Edinburgh to create a new life for her and her daughter. But how long can she keep the secret for? There's a second season too, with an entirely different cast and premise, so it's a perfect weekend binge watch.
Stream it: Netflix.
ICONIt Follows (2014)
If you're a fan of films that leave you feeling unsettled for days after you watch them, then you'll love It Follows. The horror film sees a young woman pursued by a supernatural entity that is ‘passed on’ only through intercourse. If she doesn't pass it on, then it will continue to take on different forms in an attempt to kill her.
Stream it: ITVX.
1996-98 AccuSoft Inc., All rightMisery (1990)
Kathy Bates is incredibly unsettling in this film based on the 1987 Stephen King novel of the same name. When famous author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) crashes his car during a blizzard, he is taken in by an obsessive fan (Bates) who takes him to her remote house and offers to ‘care’ for him while he recovers from injuries that leave him bed-bound, effectively holding him prisoner.
Stream it: £3.49 on Apple TV.
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