Stephen King has addressed the similarities between Netflix’s newest sensation Baby Reindeer and some eerily similar work of his own.
He is arguably the king (no pun intended) of scary stories, so for Richard Gadd’s show to be addressed by him is an honour in and of itself.
Though Baby Reindeer appears to have clear influences from King’s story, Gadd's own story is actually based on his own terrifying real-life experiences. Check out the trailer – if you haven’t seen it yet, run to Netfilx:
King commented in a review of the show – where he felt about Baby Reindeer basically exactly how everyone else on the planet did.
He called it ‘one of the best things’ he had ever seen and said: “Like 13.3 million other Netflix subscribers, I tried it and found myself sucked in, unable to look away.
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“My first thought was to thank God my novel came first, or people would assume I’d stolen it from Richard Gadd.”
The iconic horror novelist went on to address comparisons that had been drawn between a book of his and Baby Reindeer, with the book also having a film adaptation with a near perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.
The book in question is Misery, a psychological thriller from 1987 in which a female deranged fan becomes obsessed with a male romance novelist.
He ends up in a car crash, and finds himself being trapped as he is rescued by his number one fan and unable to move – as she insists he has to write one final novel, one all for her.
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Misery was adapted into a film in 1990, starring Kathy Bates and James Caan, which continues to be one of the best horrors out there.
The concept is different enough to Baby Reindeer, but you can understand why King is thankful his came out first.
Before you worry too, as Baby Reindeer is based on Gadd’s own life – no one is accusing him of stealing from King.
The novelist said of the likenesses between the two: “Then comes Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), who appears one day in the pub where Donny works. It’s a showstopper of an entrance, hands down the equal of our introduction to Misery’s Annie Wilkes.
“The difference between Paul Sheldon (Misery) and Donny Dunn is to some extent physical, because Sheldon has been badly hurt in a car accident.
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“He doesn’t give Annie a cup of tea — in fact would probably only give her a passing glance if she turned up in an autograph line. Donny, on the other hand, invites the devil in, however unknowingly.
He goes on to say: “In Misery Sheldon — bedridden, held prisoner both by a growing drug addiction and Annie herself — reluctantly comes to the conclusion that Annie is right about his new novel.
“She says it isn’t very good, and she’s probably right. In any event, she burns it. She is the doer; Paul Sheldon is the helpless watcher.
“In Baby Reindeer Donny finally takes action himself, knocking his sad suitcase of props to the floor and getting honest — brutally so — with his audience.”
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I think I’ve found the perfect double feature for my weekend.
Topics: Stephen King, Baby Reindeer, Netflix, Film, TV and Film, TV
Michael Slavin