People left 'unable to sleep' after watching BBC's new horror series compared to Black Mirror

People have been left 'unable to sleep' after watching the BBC's new horror series, which has been compared to Black Mirror. You can watch the trailer below:

Red Rose is from the producers of Sex Education, but the show is anything but comical.

Set and filmed in Bolton, the series follows a group of friends in the summer after their GCSEs whose lives are thrown into creepy chaos by an app called Red Rose.

Promising to make their wildest dreams come true, the seemingly supernatural force behind the app then threatens dangerous consequences to the users who refuse to meet its demands.

Alongside the tech-heavy Black Mirror-esque themes, the show perfectly juggles a variety of social and emotional issues, from poverty to grief, all the while writing a love letter to creators Michael and Paul Clarkson's home town of Bolton.

And Black Mirror isn't the only comparison to be had here.

The coming-of-age horror backdrop is reminiscent of Stranger Things, while the exploration of teen love and friendship alongside the 90s fashion and soundtrack on display gives Euphoria fans a treat.

All of this is held up by solid performances by the young cast, which includes Isis Hainsworth as our protagonist Rochelle.

In short, Red Rose is a binge-worthy ride - but it's certainly not for the fainthearted.

Despite only dropping yesterday (15 August), fans have already been left terrified by the spooky show.

Taking to Twitter, one wrote: "Not going to sleep well tonight after watching Red Rose on BBC 3."

Not going to sleep well tonight after watching Red Rose on BBC 3…. pic.twitter.com/UW1p0dv4QS

— Kristin Tunley-Smith💙🌻 (@Kristin1406) August 16, 2022

Another said: "I am finding BBC's Red Rose entirely too scary, but I can't tear my eyes away."

"Red Rose is FREAKING ME OUT in the best way," added a third, while a fourth described it as 'creepy', adding that the 'music messes with your head'.

The critics have been praising the show too, including the Guardian's Stuart Jeffries who said Red Rose is a 'creepier Black Mirror'.

Elsewhere, Stylist's Morgan Cormack wrote: "The series does a great job of showing us just how realistic and dystopian our smartphones can be."

Speaking about his and his brother's upbringing, Michael Clarkson said in a press release: "When we were playing as kids, Paul and I always felt like we were in a film.

"Bolton was our set. And to now see our hometown looking beautiful and dark and powerful on camera, it's quite surreal."

Paul added: "I think we're both very excited for the world to see Bolton in all its facets. Its beauty and its dirt."

Michael said: "With Red Rose, we're hoping people who are watching it that are working class will feel proud of where they're from."

If you're interested in checking it out, all eight episodes of Red Rose are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.