Devil in Ohio: Is Netlix’s new supernatural thriller based on a true story?

Showrunner Daria Polatin has said ‘Devil in Ohio’ is inspired by true events, but ‘it is not the truth’

(RICARDO HUBBS/NETFLIX)

Netflix’s Devil in Ohio has been catapulted into the top 10 titles in 52 countries, with many viewers wondering whether the supernatural thriller is based on true events.

Set in a fictional Ohio town, believed to be a few hours from Cleveland, Devil in Ohio stars Bones actor Emily Deschanel as Suzanne, a mother and psychiatrist who invites her new young patient (Madeleine Arthur) into her home when she’s brought into the hospital after a traumatic episode.

However, as the eight-episode series unravels, it is revealed that the young girl has escaped from the clutches of a satanic cult, leaving Suzanne’s family in grave danger.

Now, it has been revealed that the show is inspired by Daria Polatin’s book of the same name, released in 2017. Polatin also serves as the series’ showrunner and executive producer.

In an interview with the Columbus Dispatch, Polatin revealed that, while her young-adult novel is inspired by a true story, it is not the truth.

On the origins of Devil in Ohio, the Boston native told the publication: “When my producer Rachel Miller heard this true story, which took place in Ohio, she told it to me. I knew I had to tell it. I decided to start with a book.

“I fictionalised the story to free myself up creatively, and I thought it would be interesting to tell it for a YA (young adult) audience because the girl is in her mid-teens.”

“The bones of the story are true and happened, and I wanted to take that as a jumping-off point.” she continued, adding, “It’s inspired by true events, but it’s not a documentary. That’s just a different kind of storytelling.”

In a separate interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Polatin further explained that the cult at the heart of the series is entirely “made up”.

On what went into making the depiction credible, she said the team behind Devil in Ohio interviewed former members of different cults and incorporated themes and rituals from different religions and ideologies.

Then they created a blueprint for the cult for everyone on set, Polatin said.

“We wrote documents about the cult that we shared with our heads of departments and creative teams so everyone was on the same page,” she continued, adding, “Our composer came up with this stunning hymn he wrote [after] we gave him the language of our cult — the Morningstar, the dawning.

“The costumes are inspired by our backstories: They came from Ireland, they were farmers, they lived in West Virginia, their crops failed, [forcing them to move to Ohio].”

So, fact or fiction? The Devil in Ohio is a bit of both.

Devil in Ohio is currently streaming on Netflix.