A puppeteer's descent into madness in 1980s New York City
In short: In the Netflix psychological thriller Eric, a distraught puppeteer's life unravels after his nine-year-old son vanishes. As his marriage fails and substance abuse takes hold, he turns to a seven-foot-tall puppet for salvation. This gripping drama explores the thin line between grief and delusion in a dark, urban landscape.
Released on 30 May 2024, the six-part series was created by Abi Morgan for Netflix. Set against the backdrop of 1980s New York City, the story follows Vincent Anderson, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, a puppeteer struggling with an unhappy marriage and the disappearance of his son, Edgar. The narrative traces Vincent's increasingly volatile behavior, which alienates him from his social and professional circles. The plot focuses on Vincent's struggle with substance abuse as he becomes convinced that his puppet can help reunite him with Edgar.
The production features a complex layer of performance, with Cumberbatch providing both the physical portrayal of Vincent and the voice for Eric, the massive seven-foot-tall puppet. The series was commissioned by Netflix in November 2021 and filmed in locations including New York and Budapest. The production involved several companies, including Little Chick and Sister, with executive producers including Cumberbatch, Morgan, Jane Featherstone, and Lucy Dyke. Principal photography for the series commenced in early 2023. The project was originally commissioned by the streaming service in November 2021.
Critical reception has been mixed but generally favorable. A 71% positive score from 70 critics on Rotten Tomatoes accompanies a consensus calling the show a "perverse genre-bender" that is "startlingly disturbing." Meanwhile, Metacritic gave it 61/100 from 31 reviews. The production earned a BAFTA for Best Costume Design during the 2025 British Academy Television Craft Awards; additionally, McKinley Belcher III received Supporting Actor nominations from both the Royal Television Society Programme Awards and the British Academy Television Awards in March 2025. The series' soundtrack, composed by Keefus Ciancia, arrived on streaming platforms shortly after the premiere. Additionally, Tim Minchin wrote the theme song, Good Day Sunshine.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Eric (TV series)
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