Arriving just in time for Halloween is ITV’s latest psychological thriller The Sister, which follows the story of a man who has spent years escaping the demons of his past. The four-part murder mystery was penned by novelist and screenwriter Neil Cross of Luther fame. But what was the inspiration behind Cross’ latest project? And is The Sister based on a true story?
As the Radio Times reports, the ITV drama was not inspired by true events. However, The Sister was based on Cross’ 2009 novel Burial — a book which drew inspiration from a nightmare the show-writer experienced back in 1985.
Speaking to the publication, Cross revealed the dream in question had involved the murder of a homeless man. “I woke up with a very, very clear memory of coming across a homeless man asleep on the steps who I randomly stabbed to death,” the author explained, adding that the nightmare had felt so realistic, he initially believed the murder had actually occurred. “I was absolutely certain that I remembered randomly killing this man, and in fact for years and years and years I genuinely found it difficult to talk about.”
Further discussing the inspiration behind The Sister, Cross told the Radio Times he had previously experienced a “haunting” of his own. “I’ve absolutely experienced a haunting,” he said. “I can’t begin to explain what happened. I know what I don’t believe, but I also know what happened.” The creepy anecdote was in reference to supernatural elements of Cross’ latest TV venture, most of which are experienced by lead character Nathan — a man haunted by his past mistakes.
