Netflix viewers 'scared s**tless' after watching new 'bone-chilling' horror The Unholy

Netflix users have resorted to hiding behind their sofas after tuning in to the film The Unholy.

The Unholy, based on the 1983 horror novel Shrine, tells the story of a young girl who inexplicably gains the power to heal the sick, and credits it to a visit from the Virgin Mary.

As word spreads of the girl's miracles, and people flock to see it for themselves, one disgraced journalist pays the town a visit to investigate.

But as strange events begin to unfold, it slowly starts to become clear that these so-called 'miracles' are the work of something far more sinister.

It stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Cricket Brown, William Sadler (Die Hard 2), and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride).

When it first dropped, reviews for The Unholy were... a mixed bag.

"I started watching The Unholy on Netflix… only five minutes in and unless my boyfriend stays at mine, it's going to stay that way," one viewer admitted on Twitter.

"Solid horror movie, there were parts that definitely scared the s**t out of me," confessed a second.

A third wrote: "The Unholy, in my opinion, was legitimately scary. It had great, bone-chilling jump scares."

Others actually enjoyed the terror of it all.

"#TheUnholy is actually such a good horror film, I haven't enjoyed a horror film this much for such a long time! Totes recommend it on Netflix," said another, much more optimistic tweet.

A quick scan through Rotten Tomatoes will show that not everyone was a fan of The Unholy, with an audience score of just 56% and an even lower critic score of 28%.

Although many critics seem to agree that Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a great lead, and there are some very big scares, they argue that the CGI effects aren't exactly up-to-date.

The film tells the story of thrill-seeking best friends Becky and Hunter (Grace Carolina Currey and Virginia Gardner), who love to push their limits and conquer their fears.

After Becky's husband dies in a freak climbing accident, she and Hunter travel out to the desert and dare to scale a 2,000ft abandoned radio tower to scatter his ashes.

Even the idea of this might already be making some people's hearts drop into their stomachs.

But when they find themselves stranded at the top after the ladders break away from the pole, panic starts to set in.

Viewers have admitted to feeling genuinely ill after watching the vertigo-inducing flick, so proceed with caution!

Both movies are available to stream on Netflix now.