Is The Other Black Girl based on a true story? We discuss the 2023 Hulu TV series, which will contain minor spoilers.
With an uneasy tone and ambiguous characters, this thriller series slowly burns, channeling the vibe of Jordan Peele’s Get Out and mixing tension and comedy over the course of its ten episodes.
We follow African American Nella and her job at a publishing company.
A new employee, another Black woman, joins the firm, and despite her initial excitement, Nella starts to become aware of some sinister undercurrents running through the company.
READ: Love 101 Season 2 Review
With a socially relevant premise at its core, the show is already finding an audience, and you can read a full review of the episodes right here on the site, but this companion piece is here to shed a little light on the actual story as we answer the question: is The Other Black Girl based on a true story?
What is The Other Black Girl on Hulu about?
This thriller from Hulu follows Nella, who is the only African-American member of the staff at Wagner Books, a publishing company. Nella is an editorial assistant with the firm that appears to only ever have employed one other Black member of staff. A portrait of the staff member, Kendra Rae Phillips, stands out amongst the other pictures, and Nella is intrigued.
The daily grind of working at the office is alleviated with the arrival of Hazel May McCall, another Black woman who starts with the company, and Nella is over the moon with the new employee with whom she feels she can relate and confide.
READ: 10 films like Seoul Vibe you must watch
However, things start to grow sinister when Nella receives a message to leave the company, and the new employee, Hazel, seems to fit in with the firm very comfortably.
With a rising feeling of paranoia and her grasp on reality starting to fade, Nella starts to question what is actually happening at the firm and starts to uncover some hidden truths.
Is The Other Black Girl based on a true story?
No. The series is a work of fiction, and the characters are not based on real people, although the situation Nella finds herself in may resonate with people, giving the impression that the show may have been based on true events.
The book’s author has gone on record to state that although a work of fiction, the story touches on aspects of her own life and experiences that she had.
Is The Other Black Girl based on a book?
Yes, the show has been adapted from a novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris. The rights to the novel were won by Hulu, who were keen on adapting the book into a series.
Produced by Onyx Collective and Temple Hill Entertainment, the series stays as true to its source material as possible, and Harris would retain a certain level of control of the property, becoming one of the executive producers on the show, and would also be involved in writing for the show.
The book received mixed reviews on its release, but the rights were secured even before it had been released.
