“Loch Henry” is arguably the best and most surprising episode of Black Mirror‘s sixth season. The acclaimed Netflix anthology series is known for its dramatic twists. And “Loch Henry” certainly delivered an all-timer. But due to the nature of the episode’s narrative, some viewers may be wondering about the characters portrayed in the episode. With that in mind, we wanted to delve into whether Iain Adair was a real person.
In “Loch Henry”, couple Davis and Pia visit the eponymous town and stay with Davis’ mother Janet. They are there to create a documentary film about an egg collector. But after learning about a man named Iain Adair and his heinous torture-murders, they decide to make a documentary about that instead.
The episode uses supposed archive footage to tell the terrifying tale of Iain Adair and the impact his crimes had on the town.
This archive footage is rather convincing and features “real” news stories from the BBC, Sky, CNN, The Guardian, and others. Likewise, Davis and Pia’s film is shot as a true crime documentary. The completed film — called “Loch Henry: Truth Will Out” — wins a BAFTA after the shocking events of the episode.
The way these parts of the episode are presented could leave some viewers questioning whether the events of the episode were real or based on a true story. But was the “Loch Henry” episode of Black Mirror a true story and was its serial killer a real person?
Was Iain Adair a real person? Black Mirror “Loch Henry” episode, explained
Was Iain Adair a real person? No, Iain Adair was not a real person. The events in the “Loch Henry” episode of Black Mirror are fictional.
While parts of the episode attempt to portray its events as real, this is only for dramatic effect.
In “Loch Henry”, Iain Adair’s murders (later revealed to have been committed primarily by Davis’ parents Janet and Kenneth) took place in the 1990s.
Given the horrific nature of these crimes, the case would be widely known and reported if it were true.
Despite the story of the episode having no basis in reality, it still stands as one of the best episode of Black Mirror thanks to the shocking reveal of Davis’ parents as sadistic killers.
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