'Carrie meets Mean Girls': What are critics saying about Netflix horror series ‘The Body'?

It has been a stacked year for the horror genre with releases such as Obsession, Carrie, Backrooms, Clayface and Resident Evil - but there is a new horror Netflix series everyone can't stop talking about.

The Body is a coming-of-age Y2K sapphic psychological thriller meets supernatural horror created by Quinn Shephard, who also serves as Executive Producer/Director.

Amy Israel, Peter Chernin, and Josh Stern are also executive produces for North Road, alongside Riley Keough, Gina Gammell, and Sacha Ben Harroche for Felix Culpa.

"After a dance-team initiation gone wrong, a group of badly behaved Catholic school girls begin having prophetic visions that set off mass hysteria in their town," the plot synopsis reads.

Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

The cast includes Kyra Pierce as Bailey Bradley, Phallon Pierce as Brit Bradley, Marcel Ruiz as Tyler Santos, Orlando Norman as Steven Maxwell, Gabby Windey as Coach Miller.

Plus, Ashley Madekwe as Theresa Franklin, Motell Foster as Michael Franklin, Cale Ambrozic as Benji, Anna Tierney as Melanie, Chloe Longname as Eden, Sarah Abbott as Olivia, Emily Roman as Claire, Michela Luci as Amy, Bella Neuspiel as Katie, Julia Lowe as Blair, and Christine Solomon as Salma.

Many have compared the series to Jennifer's Body, The Crucible, Carrie, Mean Girls, and Yellowjackets.

What are critics saying?

Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

Critics have given their verdict on the series, and overall The Body has received positive reviews. At the time of writing, the show has a 77 per cent critics score on film and TV aggregate website, Rotten Tomatoes.

Variety's Aramide Tinubu wrote, "Part thriller, part horror and part archetypal YA drama, “The Body” is brilliant. The show treats the Y2K era with the reverence it deserves, and Shephard grounds her audience in the period."

"In its uneven mélange of two-dimensional characters and underexplored ideas, the Netflix drama does a finer job of paying tribute to its pop culture forebears than of staking its own claim among them," said The Hollywood Reporter''s Angie Han.

"The Body really shouldn’t work quite as well as it does. The setup is an absolute slam drunk of slasher genre clichés," said NME's Priya Elan in her four-star review, praising the "electric dialogue and interpersonal relationships that toggle between mean and meaningful."

Collider's Gabrielle Moss rated the series a seven out of 10, "...viewers who can handle a show that's more atmospheric than propulsive will be rewarded by standout performances from a crackerjack ensemble of young actors, who dive deep into this examination of teenage girls whose lives are bedazzled, Juicy Couture-filled cages they can't quite break free from."

"Being campy and raunchy can only take a TV show so far. The Body is undeniably a hot mess, but it’s a campy, entertaining hot mess with plenty of steamy sapphic scenes. As such, I foresee this becoming a cult classic, similar to But I’m A Cheerleader or Jennifer’s Body," noted ScreenRant's Dani Kessel Odom who scored the series a six out of 10.

“The Body’s attention to nostalgic, early 2000s details is also one of the show’s biggest blessings. AIM chatrooms and killer needle drops abound," commented Mashable's Belen Edwards. "Between these elements and a throbbing choral soundtrack, there’s a transgressive fun to The Body’s aesthetic, and to the series as a whole. Atmospheric, unsettling, and amusing in equal parts, The Body is nothing short of a devilishly good time.”

What are viewers saying?

Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

Since it's release, viewers have also been taking to social media to share their thoughts on The Body, and it appears to be a hit as it currently has a 97 per cent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many calling on the show to be renewed for a second season.

One person said, "I get why Netflix is investing in The Body so much, IT IS THAT GOOD WTF."

"Just finished episode one… RENEW THE BODY FOR SEASON 2 RIGHT NOW," a second person wrote.

A third person declared, "LET’S F***ING GO LESBIANS."

"THE BODY SEASON 2 RENEWAL CAMPAIGN STARTS NOW !!!!!!!!!! like right now @netflix please," a fourth person commented.

A fifth person reacted, "This being the best show Netflix has released this year."

"SHOW OF THE YEAR I NEED SEASON 2 ON MY DESK RN," someone else shared.

Has the show been renewed for season 2?

Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

At the time of writing, The Body has not yet been renewed for a second season - but we'll be keeping our eyes peeled...

Where can I watch?

Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

The Body is available to watch on Netflix

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