‘F**k whoever wrote this’: This is why people are calling out Devil in Ohio

Devil in Ohio is the number one series on Netflix today (8th September), and it’s been met with some pretty mixed reviews.

Some people have confessed it took them on an emotional rollercoaster, while others have slated it for being nonsensical and cliché. But a number of people on Twitter have shared a take which might make you rethink the whole series entirely.

The plot centres a psychiatrist taking a lost child, Mae, into her home one day, with devastating consequences for her entire family. Mae actually belongs to a satanic cult, and quickly her presence puts the characters in danger. Some viewers are pointing out that “abused” children shouldn’t ever be shown as villains on-screen, and turning a traumatised, underaged cult victim into a monster is actually ignorant.

Photo via Netflix

“Tired of the trope of abused child being the bad guy in horror,” one Twitter user said. “Hoped beyond hope that wasn’t the case for Devil in Ohio but fuck whoever wrote this. This isn’t deep, it’s harmful.”

Their thread continued: “Not only did they somehow make the child who grew up in a cult, was being abused and almost murdered, the bad guy but you also managed to make the adult… trying to help her the bad guy as well.

“Devil in Ohio does nothing but demonise women and girls who have suffered abuse and makes them appear like sociopaths. People already don’t believe victims and this does nothing but further the agenda under the guise of psychological horror.”

THE DEVIL IN OHIO: Enjoying it so far, with one exception: Suzanne (a psychiatrist!) simply springing a traumatized, abused girl on her husband and daughters with no prior discussion or preparation strikes me as high-handed and tone deaf.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 7, 2022

Another person tweeted: “Suzanne’s entire family were a bunch of assholes for treating the traumatized teenager like a monster and not the victim that she was.”

Even the king of horror himself (no pun intended), Stephen King, thought it was pretty problematic. “Enjoying it so far, with one exception: Suzanne (a psychiatrist!) simply springing a traumatized, abused girl on her husband and daughters with no prior discussion or preparation strikes me as high-handed and tone deaf.”

Devil in Ohio is available to stream on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Netflix’s latest true crime is about the horrific anthrax attacks after 9/11
• I Came By ending explained: Ok, so what did that twist final scene mean?
• Netflix’s latest true crime drama is about *another* evil US cult

Featured image via Netflix.