Netflix Series

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June 18, 2025

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Eric, the gripping new Netflix limited series, is more than just another psychological thriller — it’s a personal, unsettling exploration of loss, obsession, and mental unravelling, set against the grimy backdrop of 1980s New York. Created by acclaimed screenwriter Abi Morgan (known for The Hour and The Iron Lady), the show is rooted in deeply intimate themes, drawn from her own experiences of grief and parenthood.

Morgan envisioned Eric as a meditation on how trauma can distort perception and reality. Describing the story as one of “loss, recovery, and self-destruction,” she brings a surreal but grounded emotional core to the series — one where the boundaries between imagination and madness blur dangerously.

At the heart of Eric is Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Vincent, a beloved children’s puppeteer whose life spirals into chaos after his young son, Edgar, goes missing. Struggling with guilt and emotional collapse, Vincent becomes fixated on a towering puppet named Eric — a creation from his son’s sketchbook — and convinces himself that bringing this imaginary creature to life will help him reunite with his child.

Cumberbatch was reportedly captivated by the complexity of the role. Calling Eric “one of the most unique and emotionally layered stories” he had encountered, he embraced the challenge of portraying a man teetering between reality and delusion. As a father himself, Cumberbatch found the series’ exploration of parental guilt and desperation especially resonant. His deep personal investment in the project even led him to serve as an executive producer.

The setting is no less significant than the characters. The show’s portrayal of 1980s New York City is grim, decaying, and unflinchingly real. Homelessness, police corruption, the AIDS crisis, and rising crime rates paint a portrait of a society crumbling alongside Vincent’s psyche. Filming took place in both Budapest and New York, with Budapest standing in for much of the old Manhattan landscape due to budget constraints and historical architecture.

But the show’s most distinctive element — the seven-foot puppet Eric — is more than just a plot device. It’s a living metaphor: for grief, for fractured identity, and for the voices we silence in ourselves. Rather than relying solely on CGI, the production team opted to construct Eric as a practical puppet, lending the series a raw and tactile surrealism. Artists and puppeteers worked meticulously to ensure Eric felt both fantastical and eerily plausible, hovering at the edge of hallucination and truth.

In blending noir aesthetics, psychological horror, and emotionally rich storytelling, Eric isn’t just another mystery — it’s a haunting portrayal of how the human mind copes with unbearable pain. For Morgan, it’s personal. For Cumberbatch, it’s transformative. And for viewers, it may be one of the most profound thrillers Netflix has ever released.

Main Cast of Eric (Netflix, 2025)

Benedict Cumberbatch as Vincent
A children’s television puppeteer whose life unravels after his son disappears.
Struggles with guilt, delusion, and grief — creating “Eric,” an imaginary puppet monster.
Gaby Hoffmann as Cassie
Vincent’s estranged wife.
A grieving mother trying to stay grounded while her husband descends into obsession.
McKinley Belcher III as Detective Michael Ledroit
A closeted Black detective in 1980s NYPD investigating the disappearance.
Faces systemic racism and homophobia while trying to navigate corruption in the force.
Dan Fogler as Lennie Wilson
Vincent’s TV show partner and longtime friend.
Caught between loyalty to Vincent and concern for his mental state.
Phoebe Nicholls as Anne
Vincent’s emotionally distant mother, with a cold demeanor and strained family ties.
Ivan Howe as Edgar
Vincent and Cassie’s young son who goes missing.
His disappearance drives the entire narrative — and the creation of Eric.