Is Swarm Based mostly On A True Story? The Fact Behind Its Disturbing Inspirations

The Prime Video authentic restricted collection “Swarm” is a deeply disturbing have a look at the depth of 1 fan’s love for her favourite musical artist, and regardless of its extra outlandish components, it feels all too actual. Dominique Fishback stars within the present as Andrea “Dre” Greene, an emotionally risky younger lady who’s so obsessive about the singer Ni’jah (Nirine S. Brown) that she finally ends up occurring a murderous rampage. Very like “Atlanta” (which was created by Donald Glover, who additionally co-created “Swarm” with “Atlanta” author Janine Nabers), “Swarm” makes use of surrealism to blur the traces between truth and fiction. Living proof: Ni’jah was clearly impressed by real-life singer Beyoncé, proper right down to her fandom being referred to as the “Killer Bees” and “The Swarm,” very similar to Beyoncé’s “BeyHive.” 

After all, there’s sufficient chaos within the information {that a} story about an overzealous fan committing homicide within the title of their fandom seems like one thing that might slip by the cracks. In any case, real-world super-fans have executed horrible issues earlier than (like, maybe most notoriously, that point the president of Tejano singer Selena’s fan membership killed the gifted younger singer), which in flip begs the query: Is Dre primarily based on an actual individual? Let’s have a look.

In “Swarm” episode 6, the narrative switches and we see a real crime documentary about Andrea, together with a section the place Glover, enjoying himself, says he is making a collection about her life. It is sort of just like the Emmy-winning “Atlanta” episode “B.A.N.,” which incorporates a tv present inside the “Atlanta” universe, or the season 4 episode “The Goof Who Sat By the Door.” The one distinction, nevertheless, is that it would not simply make the present’s world really feel extra lived-in, however it additionally makes it virtually really feel actual. 

With that being mentioned, Dre will not be an actual individual, and the occasions of “Swarm” are a piece of fiction, irrespective of how a lot the present tries to confuse viewers. Throughout an interview with the Los Angeles Instances, Nabers defined the method behind creating “Swarm” and its virtually too-convincing storytelling:

“We did analysis for months to mainly discover occasions inside a 2 1/2 12 months interval that we may put our predominant character into. So, it is actually not a piece of fiction. We have taken actual web rumors, actual murders, and mixed them within the narrative of our predominant character, Dre. Not a lot of it’s fabricated.”

So, though Dre is not actual, she is kind of a mix of actual individuals and actual tales of followers who took issues too far. The unique inspiration for “Swarm” got here partly from a since-debunked web rumor that popped up after the discharge of Beyoncé’s “Lemonade,” claiming {that a} fan named Marissa had died by suicide as a result of she realized that Beyoncé was allegedly being cheated on by her husband, Jay-Z. In “Swarm,” Dre’s foster sister Marissa (Chloe Bailey) equally dies by suicide after Dre informs her that her fiancé has been dishonest on her, drawing virtually straight from that very same false rumor.

Whereas there are lots of fictional films and exhibits with the “any resemblance to individuals residing or useless is unintentional” card someplace to keep away from litigation, “Swarm” needed to take it a step additional, stating, “Whereas this story is impressed by sure precise occasions, it’s a work of fiction,” earlier than occurring to make clear any similarities are coincidental or unintentional. Certainly, the similarities between Ni’jah and Beyoncé are prolonged (from her shock visible album drop to her live performance outfits), however once more, what concerning the murders? 

In an interview with Selection, Nabers mentioned that “each episode, except episode 4, has a real basis for its homicide.” (Episode 4 was written by Malia Obama and options singer Billie Eilish because the chief of a feminist cult the place issues finish in severe bloodshed. The entire thing is pure chaos.) Every homicide was likewise primarily based on some real-life homicide, which supplies the collection an extra layer of authenticity even because it adjustments particulars to suit its total narrative. That is a grotesque inventive choice however one you’ll be able to virtually really feel within the collection, which is deeply unsettling at each flip.

Nabers has additionally famous that she and Glover noticed “Swarm” as a possibility to take a look at a serial killer story from a Black lady’s perspective, which is one thing we actually hadn’t seen earlier than. On the identical time, they made certain to floor it in a means that made it really feel simply as plausible (and even extra plausible) than one thing like “Dexter” and its many different TV serial killer friends.

The Prime Video authentic restricted collection “Swarm” is a deeply disturbing have a look at the depth of 1 fan’s love for her favourite musical artist, and regardless of its extra outlandish components, it feels all too actual. Dominique Fishback stars within the present as Andrea “Dre” Greene, an emotionally risky younger lady who’s so obsessive about the singer Ni’jah (Nirine S. Brown) that she finally ends up occurring a murderous rampage. Very like “Atlanta” (which was created by Donald Glover, who additionally co-created “Swarm” with “Atlanta” author Janine Nabers), “Swarm” makes use of surrealism to blur the traces between truth and fiction. Living proof: Ni’jah was clearly impressed by real-life singer Beyoncé, proper right down to her fandom being referred to as the “Killer Bees” and “The Swarm,” very similar to Beyoncé’s “BeyHive.” 

After all, there’s sufficient chaos within the information {that a} story about an overzealous fan committing homicide within the title of their fandom seems like one thing that might slip by the cracks. In any case, real-world super-fans have executed horrible issues earlier than (like, maybe most notoriously, that point the president of Tejano singer Selena’s fan membership killed the gifted younger singer), which in flip begs the query: Is Dre primarily based on an actual individual? Let’s have a look.

In “Swarm” episode 6, the narrative switches and we see a real crime documentary about Andrea, together with a section the place Glover, enjoying himself, says he is making a collection about her life. It is sort of just like the Emmy-winning “Atlanta” episode “B.A.N.,” which incorporates a tv present inside the “Atlanta” universe, or the season 4 episode “The Goof Who Sat By the Door.” The one distinction, nevertheless, is that it would not simply make the present’s world really feel extra lived-in, however it additionally makes it virtually really feel actual. 

With that being mentioned, Dre will not be an actual individual, and the occasions of “Swarm” are a piece of fiction, irrespective of how a lot the present tries to confuse viewers. Throughout an interview with the Los Angeles Instances, Nabers defined the method behind creating “Swarm” and its virtually too-convincing storytelling:

“We did analysis for months to mainly discover occasions inside a 2 1/2 12 months interval that we may put our predominant character into. So, it is actually not a piece of fiction. We have taken actual web rumors, actual murders, and mixed them within the narrative of our predominant character, Dre. Not a lot of it’s fabricated.”

So, though Dre is not actual, she is kind of a mix of actual individuals and actual tales of followers who took issues too far. The unique inspiration for “Swarm” got here partly from a since-debunked web rumor that popped up after the discharge of Beyoncé’s “Lemonade,” claiming {that a} fan named Marissa had died by suicide as a result of she realized that Beyoncé was allegedly being cheated on by her husband, Jay-Z. In “Swarm,” Dre’s foster sister Marissa (Chloe Bailey) equally dies by suicide after Dre informs her that her fiancé has been dishonest on her, drawing virtually straight from that very same false rumor.

Whereas there are lots of fictional films and exhibits with the “any resemblance to individuals residing or useless is unintentional” card someplace to keep away from litigation, “Swarm” needed to take it a step additional, stating, “Whereas this story is impressed by sure precise occasions, it’s a work of fiction,” earlier than occurring to make clear any similarities are coincidental or unintentional. Certainly, the similarities between Ni’jah and Beyoncé are prolonged (from her shock visible album drop to her live performance outfits), however once more, what concerning the murders? 

In an interview with Selection, Nabers mentioned that “each episode, except episode 4, has a real basis for its homicide.” (Episode 4 was written by Malia Obama and options singer Billie Eilish because the chief of a feminist cult the place issues finish in severe bloodshed. The entire thing is pure chaos.) Every homicide was likewise primarily based on some real-life homicide, which supplies the collection an extra layer of authenticity even because it adjustments particulars to suit its total narrative. That is a grotesque inventive choice however one you’ll be able to virtually really feel within the collection, which is deeply unsettling at each flip.

Nabers has additionally famous that she and Glover noticed “Swarm” as a possibility to take a look at a serial killer story from a Black lady’s perspective, which is one thing we actually hadn’t seen earlier than. On the identical time, they made certain to floor it in a means that made it really feel simply as plausible (and even extra plausible) than one thing like “Dexter” and its many different TV serial killer friends.