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The 2019 horror film 'Dreadful' climbs the Netflix rankings despite receiving harsh critiques.

2025-03-10 18:40:51

A horror movie with an all-star cast is currently flying up the charts on Netflix, despite being panned as a ‘dreadful mess’.

Ma was released in May, 2019, with Octavia Spencer in the lead role as a lonely woman who befriends a group of teenagers, allowing them to party in her home before she begins terrorizing them in a brutal twist.

The Oscar-winner was joined in the cast by Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, Luke Evans, Missi Pyle and Allison Janney, while Tate Taylor served as director.

Although it premiered almost six years back, the controversial film has surged to the top of the global Netflix rankings this month, now enjoying its second consecutive week in the top 10.

This week, the movie Ma has secured its position as the third most-viewed film, amassing over 11.5 million hours of viewing time and a total of 7 million watches.

It was beaten into the top spot by The Secret Life of Pets 2 – released that same year – and Taron Egerton’s action blockbuster, Carry On, which hit the streaming service at the very end of 2024.

FILM HANDOUT: Ma Universal Pictures 2019 Director: Tate Taylor Starring: Octavia Spencer, Luke Evans, Missi Pyle, Juliette Lewis Octavia Spencer as Sue Ann in Ma, directed by Tate Taylor.

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Octavia Spencer captivated audiences in every moment of Ma (Image: Universal)
FILM HANDOUT: Ma Universal Pictures 2019 Director: Tate Taylor Starring: Octavia Spencer, Luke Evans, Missi Pyle, Juliette Lewis Octavia Spencer as Sue Ann in Ma, directed by Tate Taylor.

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The unsettling horror film hit theaters in 2019 (Image: Universal)

However, while viewers may be watching the scare-fest in their droves, reviews weren’t that kind to Tate’s film, which currently commands a critics Rotten Tomatoes score of 55%, compared to an audience ranking of 64%.

Grant Watson from Fiction Machine stated, "It is a terrible chaos, but even more concerning, it is utterly tedious."

Alex Flood from NME remarked, "Without a doubt, Ma keeps everyone on their toes, mirroring the unpredictability of its erratic main character."

"There's a lot of enjoyment to be found in this, but don't anticipate it to be logical."

Ma- A lonely middle-aged woman befriends some teenagers and decides to let them party in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober, don't curse, and never go upstairs. They must also refer to her as Ma. But as Ma's hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma's place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on Earth.

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This month, it has soared to the top of the Netflix rankings (Image: Universal)
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