Richard Gadd in 'Baby Reindeer'
(Netflix)

If You’re Craving More Dark, Heartbreaking Shows Like ‘Baby Reindeer,’ Start Here

Baby Reindeer will likely shock you and leave you upset. Shows like that can be hard to watch but sometimes that’s exactly what you need. If you finished the Netflix series and are looking for more heartbreaking stories, we have the perfect picks for your next binge.

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These are the kinds of shows that have that one moment where you just start sobbing no matter how many times you’ve seen it. And if this is your first time with them, I am both jealous of you and feel bad for what’s ahead.

I May Destroy You

(Max)

Content warning: sexual assault

Like Gadd, Michaela Coel has been open about experiencing sexual assault. Her series I May Destroy You is both a means of artistic expression as well as a coping outlet. It left audiences both praising Coel’s ability as a writer and a performer but also watching what happens to Arabella (Coel) isn’t easy.

Fleabag

Fleabag and the "Hot Priest."
(Prime Video)

Fleabag, which also started as a one-person stage show like Baby Reindeer, lays out the twisted life of Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and how far she will go to be her own self-destructive force. The first season focused heavily on Fleabag’s friendship with her friend, who has recently died, complete with an emotional ending. Season 2 somehow managed to hit just as hard, if not harder, and if you’re looking for an obsession that will never leave you, Fleabag is the show for you. We will never forget you, Hot Priest (Andrew Scott).

The End of the F***ing World

the cast of end of the f***ing world sitting on a bench together
(Netflix)

What happens when James (Alex Lawther) wants to become his true form and take on serial killing? Well, The End of the F***ing World happens. A show about a psychopath trying to navigate life as a normal teenager goes left when Alyssa (Jessica Barden) decides that he is the man for her. This is a very twisted show but one that will become a favorite of yours to suggest to other people.

I Am Not Okay With This

two kids sitting outside in i'm not okay with this
(Netflix)

Being a teenager is hard. Being a teenager who is dealing with high school and her sexuality on top of having superpowers? Impossible. A show that I will forever be mad got canceled, I Am Not Okay With This follows Sydney (Sophia Lillis) as she is growing up in Pennsylvania, trying to control her emotions, her life as a teenager, and her newfound power. It is a very dark comedy and well worth the watch.

WandaVision

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision in WandaVision
(Disney+)

Baby Reindeer features Richard Gadd working out his grief and trauma in the series. WandaVision is the perfect companion piece in the sense that it explores grief and coping but through an easier lens. Watching Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) recreate her own sitcom scenarios to cope is highly relatable.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

the cast of its oay to not be okay standing back to back
(Netflix)

Healing can be something you do with someone else and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay does that with a children’s book author and an employee in a psychiatric hospital. Starring Seo Ye Ji and Kim Soo-hyun, the series is a romantic comedy but it also tackles harder issues about past relationships and trauma and is a must-see.

You

You. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 401 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
(Netflix)

While Baby Reindeer is about overcoming trauma caused by someone else, it is also about a stalker. So why not dive into You afterward? Joe (Penn Badgley) is a serial killer who stalks women and romanticizes his life with them before eventually killing them in some form. You is a lighter watch than Baby Reindeer but scratches a similar itch.

Fatal Attraction

Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplain in Fatal Attraction
(Monty Brinton/Paramount+)

Yes, I did leave all the stalker stories until the bottom of the list. Fatal Attraction is based on the film of the same name and follows Alex (Lizzy Caplan) in her obsession with Dan (Joshua Jackson) after the two have a workplace affair. Everyone who has seen Fatal Attraction knows how messed up it can be. It’s shocking how far Alex is willing to go to show Dan his treatment of her was not okay but the series does a pretty good job of not putting it all on Alex.

Swarm

Image of Dominique Fishback as Dre in Amazon's 'Swarm.' She is standing in a grocery store, visible from the shoulders up as she stands next to a shelf holding snacks. her shoulders are bare, and she has long, black braids coming out from under a wide-brimmed, blue hat. She's looking into the distance.
(Prime Video)

If you haven’t watched Swarm yet, I am jealous! The Prime Video series follows Dre (Dominique Fishback) as she navigates her obsession with a singer that takes her on a path of debt, destruction, and murder. Fishback is absolutely incredible in this and it shines a light on the obsession many have with celebrities. It’s also just very good.

Killing Eve

Eve and Villanelle in Killing Eve.
(BBC America)

Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) is trying to capture an assassin named Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Instead, they become caught up in a cat-and-mouse game of mutual obsession (and love if you ask me and half the internet). The series, which ended in 2022, left fans both wanting more and upset and I will let you explore the show for yourself.

(featured image: Neflix)


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Rachel Leishman
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.