A lesser-known horror film that chilled fans to the bone more than 10 years ago has been given a new lease on life on Netflix.

Jessica Chastain as Annabel
Netflix adds horror film that left fans ‘shaken to the core’ (Image: UNIVERSAL PICTURES)
It director Andy Muschietti’s breakthrough horror film that some fans may have forgotten has just been added to Netflix.
Originally released in 2013, it features a stellar lead performance from Jessica Chastain, who went on to portray Beverly Marsh in the hit Stephen King adaptation.

Also starring Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Yellowjackets’ Isabelle Nélisse, Mama follows two young girls who lose their parents in a horrific event years earlier.

After managing to escape, they’re drawn into a dark forest where they’re raised by a sinister entity.

When the sisters are later rescued by their father’s twin brother, they try to start a new life in the real world but soon discover that the mysterious ‘Mama’ has unfinished business.

Two young girls drawing on whiteboard

Two orphan girls return to reality after being raised by a sinister entity (Image: UNIVERSAL PICTURES)

Muschietti’s directorial feature debut sadly wasn’t a major hit with critics, scoring just 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film has a passionate contingent of followers who insist it’s well worth a second chance.

One five-star Letterboxd review declared: “I could happily sit through twenty turkeys to find one diamond like this. A masterclass in modern horror.”

Someone else raved: “I have seen many, many horror films in my lifetime. But I have rarely (if ever) seen one that has touched me so deeply, rewarded me so profoundly, and at the same time managed to scare the everliving s*** out of me so many times in one night.

“Mama has left me shaken to my very core, in so many good ways.

Young girl hiding behind a woman
They soon discover their guardian isn’t finished with them (Image: UNIVERSAL PICTURES)

They continued: “Mama is possibly the scariest film I have ever seen, but also one of the most touching, well filmed and memorable stories in a very long time.

“More ghost story than fairytale, it’s one that is sure to haunt me for all time, and I will think twice before I turn out the lights tonight..”

Praise continued over on IMDb, where one viewer admitted “I wish there were more movies like Mama.”

“This has become one of my favorite horror movies over the years, one I keep turning to as a prime example of what the horror genre should be,” they added.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Jessica Chastain

Fans are saying it’s the scariest film they’ve ever seen (Image: UNIVERSAL PICTURES)

“Mama wasn’t terrible like everyone says. It was so good! The ending was super emotional and wtf-ish.”

If you’re already a fan of the recent It movies, make sure you check out where it all began for horror maestro Muschietti now Mama is available to stream.