Is Saint X based on a true story? Inspiration behind Hulu series explored
Saint X is the latest mystery series to arrive on our screens courtesy of Hulu but is the drama based on a true story or is it purely a work of fiction?
Murder Mysteries and psychological thrillers are some of the most popular shows on TV for a reason as we all love an enthralling puzzle to try and solve.
The latest arrival from Hulu, Saint X, brings a certain twist to that formula as follows a sister’s quest for answers 20 years after the death of her sibling.
Saint X release date and plot preview
Saint X swam its way onto Hulu in the US on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
The series takes place over several timelines as it turns the girl-gone-missing genre on its head when the bright and bubbly Alison Thomas disappears and dies while on a family vacation in the 1990s.
Two decades later, her sister Claire, who was just seven years old at the time, is still searching for answers as the identity of Alison’s killer has never been uncovered.
Claire’s investigation begins with Clive Richardson, who was the prime suspect at the time of Alison’s death and whose life has been dominated by sinister accusations ever since.
Is Saint X based on a true story? [book spoilers]
No, Saint X is not based on a specific true story.
Instead, the series is an adaption of a mystery novel by author Alexis Schaitkin, meaning Alison Thomas and her disappearance are entirely fictional, as is the Caribbean island of Saint X, which doesn’t really exist.
Published in 2020, the original book is less about solving the mystery of Alison’s death rather than it’s about Claire coming to terms with the fact that she may never find the answers she’s looking for.
After attempting to delve into Clive’s side of the story, Claire eventually learns that he wasn’t Alison’s killer, which frustratingly leaves her back at square one.
Speaking in an interview with the American Booksellers Association in 2020, author Alexis Schaitkin said: “The first chapter sets up the mystery of Alison Thomas’ death, but I hope the reader will quickly figure out that the novel is ultimately less interested in the answer to that mystery than in its fallout for all of these characters.”
Similarities to real-life case
While the story told in Saint X is purely fictional, there are similarities between the disappearance of Alison Thomas to the real-life case of Natalee Holloway.
In May 2005, the high school senior from Alabama went missing during a class trip to Aruba in the Caribbean.
Natalee was 18 at the time of her disappearance, the same age as Saint X’s Alison, and the similarities continue as both the real and fictional cases were never solved.
However, unlike Alison, whose body is found in the series, Natalee’s remains have never been recovered.
After her disappearance in 2005, Natalee was officially declared dead in 2012 by an Alabama judge.
Saint X is available to stream now on Hulu in the US after premiering on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
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