Catholic schoolgirls, secret rituals, supernatural visions and a dash of early 2000s nostalgia? Netflix’s upcoming series The Body sounds like the ultimate guilty pleasure for horror fans!
Arriving this November, the eight-part coming-of-age thriller takes inspiration from cult favourites including Carrie, Jennifer’s Body and Mean Girls, blending teenage drama with religious horror and a distinctly Y2K aesthetic. Created by Quinn Shephard, the filmmaker behind Under the Bridge, the series follows a group of badly behaved Catholic schoolgirls whose Halloween initiation ceremony goes spectacularly wrong.
Think teenage friendships, schoolgirl rivalries and supernatural secrets, all wrapped up in the kind of dark, deliciously camp atmosphere that made 2000s teen movies so memorable.
From the story and cast to The Body filming locations, trailer and Netflix release date, here’s everything to know about the new series.
What Is the Plot of The Body?
A group of rebellious Catholic schoolgirls performs a strange initiation ritual for a new member of their dance team. But when things go horribly wrong, the girls begin experiencing terrifying visions, sparking panic throughout their small town.
It’s a dark teen mystery that mixes horror, religion, and high school drama.
Who Stars in The Body?
The series introduces an ensemble of young actors playing the Catholic schoolgirls at the centre of the mystery.
Kristina Bogic stars as Anya Butler, one of the Lions’ dance-team captains, while Sara Boustany plays fellow captain Elise Zakaria.
Sofia Wylie, known for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and The School for Good and Evil, plays Grace Franklin, the new recruit whose initiation sparks the terrifying events.
Geena Meszaros plays Lisbeth Anderson, with Shirley Chen appearing as Maddie Delaney.
Reality television fans may also recognise Gabby Windey, the former Bachelorette star and winner of The Traitors, who plays Coach Miller.
The wider cast includes Nnamdi Asomugha as Father Franklin, Louisa Krause as Catherine Anderson, Ashley Madekwe as Theresa Franklin, Jackson Kelly as Leo Anderson and Marcel Ruiz as Tyler Santos.
Behind the scenes, The Body comes from creator and showrunner Quinn Shephard, whose previous credits include the acclaimed true-crime drama Under the Bridge. Riley Keough, who starred in and executive produced Under the Bridge, reunites with Shephard as an executive producer on the new series.
Is There a Trailer for The Body?
Yes! Netflix released the official trailer for The Body on October 12, 2026. See below.
Where Was The Body Filmed?
Although The Body takes place in a small American town, filming took place in Toronto and the surrounding areas of Ontario, Canada.
The Canadian city has long been a favourite with film and television productions, frequently doubling for American cities and towns thanks to its versatile neighbourhoods, historic buildings and extensive production facilities. For The Body, the setting is particularly important. Its Catholic school environment, suburban surroundings and small-town atmosphere provide the backdrop for a story in which teenage secrets quickly become everybody’s business.
Toronto has previously hosted productions including Mean Girls, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and The Umbrella Academy, making it a fitting home for another story combining teenage drama with a slightly surreal edge.
What Has the Cast & Crew Said About The Body?
For creator Quinn Shephard, The Body is an especially personal project.
Speaking to Netflix’s Tudum, she described the series as a playful reimagining of her own difficult teenage experiences, drawing inspiration from the films that shaped her growing up. Shephard has cited Carrie, Jennifer’s Body, Heavenly Creatures and Mean Girls among her influences, alongside Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and its exploration of mass hysteria. She describes the show’s tone as “gritty camp“, combining provocative teenage drama with elements of Catholic horror.
But beneath the outrageous rituals and supernatural chaos lies a more personal story about growing up, repression and the complicated experience of girlhood. Shephard has also explained that the series reflects aspects of her experience growing up queer, using dark humour and horror to explore feelings of confusion and repression. The filmmaker hopes audiences will embrace the show’s mixture of comedy, sadness and scares, even suggesting that viewers turn their watch parties into old-fashioned teenage sleepovers.
When and Where Will The Body Be Released?
The Body premieres globally on Netflix on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, including in the United Kingdom and United States.
The first season consists of eight episodes. Although it arrives just after Halloween, the series looks perfectly suited to anyone who isn’t quite ready to put away the spooky decorations.
Will you be watching The Body? Let us know!