Netflix’s new Canadian mystery thriller limited series, Wayward, is beyond disturbing, so of course, I can’t stop watching it. (I may or may not be counting down the minutes ’till this work day is over so I can curl up on my couch and finish it.)

The series is set in Tall Pines, a creepy AF small town in Vermont where there’s a “therapeutic” school for troubled teens called Tall Pines Academy. Spoiler alert: The “therapy” is in fact physical and psychological torture, not actual therapy, and the “Academy Director” is an evil cult-like leader. The show was created by Mae Martin, who stars in it alongside Toni Collette. Talk about an unbelievable cast.

Mae told The Bare Magazine that they hope Wayward encourages people to “tap into their inner rebellious teen, and to reconnect with a sense of vitality, empathy, and righteous indignation that we all feel as teenagers.” Apparently, they’ve wanted to write about this premise for many years now.

But where did Mae get this twisted idea? Is Wayward based on a true story? Here’s what the show creator shared about the inspiration behind the series.

Is Netflix’s Wayward Based On A True Story?

Is Wayward Based On A Real School?

Image Credit: Netflix

Unfortunately, Wayward is inspired by a real school. So, this isn’t just a scary show… It’s a terrifying reality for many teens. “I was a wayward teen in the early 2000s, and my best friend Nicole was sent to one of these ‘troubled teen’ institutes when she was 16,” Mae shared with Netflix Tudum. “When she came back and shared her stories, I became pretty obsessed with the industry.”

Tall Pines Academy itself is fictional, but Mae’s friend, Nicole, endured a similar institution. She served as a consultant in the writers’ room, according to Deadline.

Mae shared more details during an interview with Forbes. “We were so codependent and hysterical all the time, and she was sent to one of these schools,” they recalled. “She was taken over the border and handcuffed in the middle of the night, and she was gone for two years.” According to the actor and show creator, Nicole escaped on “bare feet through the woods” and hitchhiked across the state. Mae emphasized that it was a super dangerous situation.

They also revealed that Abby and Leila’s friendship is based on their bond with Nicole. “I would be more like the Leila character, and I wondered what would have happened if I’d followed her,” Mae explained.

Nicole’s traumatic story inspired Mae to research other similar institutions and speak with survivors. “In talking to a lot of survivors of these places, there’s a lot of trying to unpack and figure out who you really are underneath, before you were 14 and someone told you that you were a sociopath,” they said.

Welp, the show just got 5,000 times more horrifying, but major props to Mae for using their platform to shed light on such a dark and deeply important issue.