Emily Deschanelis a doctor again in a new thriller mini-series from Netflix.Devil in Ohio, based on the book of the same name by Daria Polatin, will follow Deschanel as Dr. Suzanne Mathis, a hospital psychiatrist whose life changes forever after she takes in a girl that has escaped from a cult.
The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed the series had been picked up for an eight-episode run by the streaming service and that Deschanel was cast as the lead in September 2021. Polatin serves as the showrunner, creator, and executive producer. She is known for her work onCastle Rock,Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, andWeeds,in addition to being an author. Rachel Miller and Andrew Wilder (Criminal Minds,Those Who Kill) also serve as executive producers, with Ian Hay (Virgin River,Fast Layne) and Jadene Stojak Babcock (Gabby Duran & The Unsittables) as producers.
Let’s ventureinto the cornfieldsto learn everything there is to know aboutDevil in Ohio.
Devil in Ohio: The Plot
When a young girl is found on the side of the road and brought to a local hospital, no one knows who she is. Dr. Suzanne Mathis, a psychiatrist at the hospital, takes the young girl into her home while they wait for a foster placement from the state. They begin calling her Mae, though it’s unclear if that’s a name given to her by the hospital staff, Dr. Mathis' family, or if it’s the name the girl shares with them.
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As the trailer plays, it’s clear there is something more sinister at play than a girl running out of a cornfield. Symbols drawn on stakes in the field are unlike anything audiences may have seen before but shed light on just what kind of situation Mae escaped. There are mentions of satanic worship as well before Dr. Mathis says, “It’s a cult,” into her phone. Someone else seems to believe that Mae was released intentionally, as she is marked in a way that would suggest she is important to the cult. If that’s the case, what would be the benefit of releasing her? Was she meant to bring people back with her?
However, strange things start happening with Mae in the home. A weird doll appears on Dr. Mathis' nightstand in the middle of the night, Mae is shown carrying around a knife, and Dr. Mathis' husband speaks of something happening that he believes Mae caused, though the audience isn’t let in on what that incident might be.
As the film is based on a book, looking at that synopsis helps. The book centers between Dr. Mathis and her oldest daughter Jules, who comes home to find Mae. The stranger begins to try and take over Jules' life by wearing her clothes, flirting with her crush, and even sleeping in her bedroom. The turning point is when Jules sees a pentagram carved into Mae’s back. This causes the realization that she’s associated with a cult. While the television trailer focuses more on Jules' mother, hopefully, these storylines will carry over from the book.
Devil in Ohio: The Cast
Emily Deschanel is Dr. Suzanne Mathis. This isn’t the only doctor Deschanel has played in her career. She is well-known for her role as Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who worked with FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth to solve crimes (and make fans question whether the two willever end up together) in the seriesBones. Since the show ended in 2017, fans may recognize her voice from the podcastAgent Stokeror the showAnimal Kingdom.
Madeleine Arthur is Mae, the girl Dr. Mathis takes in. She is recognizable from her role in the Netflix film trilogyTo All the Boys, where she portrayed the main character’s best friend, Christine. She has also been in popular television shows likeThe MagiciansandSnowpiercer.
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Other cast members include Stacey Farber as Gina (Virgin River,Superman & Lois), Alisha Newton (Heartland) as Helen, Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale,The Politician) as Peter, Tahmoh Penikett (Supernatural) as Malachi, Keenan Tracey (Day of the Dead,The 100) as Noah, Samantha Ferris (Supernatural) as Rhoda, Marci T. House (iZombie,Julie and the Phantoms) as Adele, Ty Wood (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,BH90210) as Teddy, Djouliet Amara (Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between) as Tatiana, Naomi Tan (Gabby Duran & The Unsittables) as Dani, Xaria Dotson (American Vandal) as Jules, Jason Sakaki (Honor Society) as Isaac, Evan Ellison as Sebastian, Gerardo Celasco (How to Get Away with Murder) as Detective Lopez, and Bradley Stryker (American Tourist: Nightmare in Thailand) as Sheriff Wilkins.
Release Date
All eight episodes will be available to stream starting August 17, 2025.
Everything Else We Know
The book is said to be based on a true story. In an interview withHorror Fuelto promote the book, Polatin discusses how she was connected to someone who had experienced this in real life by a “producer friend,” who is now known to be Rachel Miller, based on information released by Netflix. While she worked with the woman to incorporate details of the real event into her book, the individual did not want to be more involved than that.
“She told me a lot of details and I incorporated a lot of that into the book. She then stepped away from the project. She didn’t want to be directly involved. I took the information that she gave me and then ran with it artistically to weave it into a good story that worked as a novel.”
While you wait forDevil in Ohioto hit Netflix, check out thebest shows about cults.
