Overview

• Mae Martin’s eight-episode psychological thriller, co-starring Toni Collette, premiered at TIFF on September 9 ahead of its September 25 Netflix release.
• Reviewers describe a thematically ambitious series that critiques a ‘troubled-teen’ institution through a chilling, cult-like portrait of Tall Pines Academy.
• The narrative splits between a cop investigating the town and teens inside the academy, with multiple critics calling the teen storyline the stronger thread.
• Toni Collette earns consistent praise, with standout notices for young performers, even as critics cite tonal whiplash, exposition-heavy plotting, and limited payoff.
• Commentary notes layers of allegory around adolescence and identity drawn from Martin’s perspective, though several reviews say the themes don’t fully cohere.