TV fans urged to watch Disney series dubbed 'scarier than any horror film'

TV fans have been urged to watch a new Disney Plus series that's been dubbed "scarier than any horror film".

Based on the real-life story of Natalia Grace, Good American Family centres around married couple Kristine and Michael Barnett, who adopt an 8-year-old child with dwarfism. However, questions soon arise concerning the actual identity of the adoptee.

"Told from multiple points of view, as a means to explore issues of perspective, bias and trauma, this compelling drama is inspired by the disturbing stories surrounding a Midwestern couple who adopt a girl with a rare form of dwarfism," the official synopsis reads.

"But as they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, mystery emerges around her age and background, and they slowly start to suspect she may not be who she says she is."

The logline concludes: "As they defend their family from the daughter they've grown to believe is a threat, she fights her own battle to confront her past and what her future holds, in a showdown that ultimately plays out in the tabloids and the courtroom."

Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo and Creep's Mark Duplass play Kristine and Michael, while Imogen Faith Reid portrays Natalia. The cast also includes Sarayu Blue, Dule Hill, Jenny O'Hara, Kim Shaw and Christina Hendricks.

The first three episodes of the series were released on Hulu this week, with new instalments dropping weekly in the US.

Ahead of Good American Family landing on Disney Plus in the UK in May, US fans have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts on the show, with many commenting on the "scary" nature of the plot.

"#GoodAmericanFamily on Hulu is scarier than any horror movie they've ever released omfg YIKES," one person wrote, with another adding: "Lord this is messy asf."

"Only on episode 1 of #GoodAmericanFamily and I already have chills," a third fan said, with another similarly sharing: "#GoodAmericanFamily getting better & better. I may stop watching so I can binge the rest."

A fourth viewer echoed the sentiment, saying: "This show is addictively good, a little creepy... I would be acting the same way as aka Meredith!!"

Critics have also praised the eight-part series, with Variety saying: "There's just enough harrowing sorrow, eye-popping oddity and acting - whether good or hammy, there's undeniably a lot of it - to make for a transfixing watch.

"As with all true crime, with or without the gloss of prestige, you may not be locked in for the right reasons, but you also can't quite look away."

The Hollywood Reporter added: "It yields not much more than a re-enactment of facts we already know, stretched over eight difficult hours. It becomes just so much more grist for the true-crime mill."

Lead actress Ellen Pompeo, who also serves as executive producer, previously spoke about wanting to play a new character after spending 20 years as Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy.

"I definitely wanted to do something that was completely different from what I've been doing for a long time and this came along," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

Ellen also explained that she wasn't aware of the story beforehand, but "then I got the script and read it and was blown away by the first episode."

Good American Family will premiere on Disney+ on April 9