Secrets, séances and disappearing girls: ‘Playing Gracie Darling’ is disturbing in all the right ways

I recently found myself binge-watching “Playing Gracie Darling”. The six-part Netflix series blurs the line between a psychological thriller and a supernatural mystery. 

Either way, it is a compelling watch that flits between past and present. 

Joni Grey (Morgana O'Reilly), the protagonist, is a child psychologist and single mother to two daughters. The story begins with her returning to her hometown following the disappearance of Frankie Darling (Ariel Donoghue), who is the daughter of Ruth (Celia Pacquol).

This development hits a nerve with Joni as it’s tied to her childhood. Joni’s best friend, Gracie Darling (Kristina Bogic), who is Ruth’s cousin, went missing shortly after a group of them held a seance. She was 14 at the time.

Twenty-seven years later, the recent turn of events becomes a trigger for Joni. 

Assisted by childhood friend Jay Rajeswaran (Rudi Dharmalingam), who is now a police officer and the father of teen daughter Raffy (Saiesha Sundaralingam), Joni’s arrival isn’t well-received by everyone.

This includes Jay’s ex-wife, Anita Evans (Annie Maynard), who was also part of their childhood spirit session that went horribly wrong. 

While everyone chose to leave their disturbing teen years in the past, Frankie’s disappearance opens a hornet's nest. More so, after it is uncovered that a group of teens in town have been dabbling in a similar seance, this time it’s called Playing Gracie Darling.

With several of them traumatised by Frankie’s disappearance, Joni uses her expertise to help them process things better. In the interim, Joni’s teenage daughter, Mina Grey (Chloe Brink), finds herself drawn into the eerie game.

Mina believes there is more to it than substance abuse. However, Joni is dismissive of her feedback.

As Joni's nightmares intensify, reliving the past, she must confront her long-buried secrets in the hope of locating Frankie. The captivating storyline is driven by various character arcs that skillfully converge into the main narrative.

Jonathan Brough’s taut direction keeps the viewer engaged and invested in Joni’s journey. 

O'Reilly commendably navigates her character’s suppressed romantic feelings, dysfunctional family dynamic, as well as looking into a past she has blanked out. Her presence is quite disarming.

The narrative inherently captures the claustrophobic feeling of small-town life, where privacy is nonexistent because everyone knows your business. 

Hidden truths, not just Joni’s past guilt, are the key to unlocking all the unanswered questions surrounding the two interlinked disappearances. This realisation is simultaneously disturbing and comforting.

The series is mostly enjoyable; however, the climax is bound to get mixed reactions depending on how you choose to interpret it. 

Rating: *** solid and enjoyable, though not groundbreaking.