A 2009 horror film starring Renée Zellweger is streaming now on Netflix in the UK.
Directed by German filmmaker Christian Alvart, it stars the Bridget Jones Diary actress as social worker Emily Jenkins, who takes in a troubled girl who’s been subject to an abusive upbringing.
However, Emily gets far more than she bargained for when she welcomes little Lilith (Jodelle Ferland) into her home – and soon comes to worry that supernatural forces might be following the child.
In addition to Zellweger, the film’s all-star cast also includes Bradley Cooper, Ian McShane and Adrian Lester.
It’s perhaps best remembered for its mid-film twist, which divided audiences at the time, but set the film on its shocking path of death and destruction.
Get personalised updates on all things Netflix
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
Upon its release, The Guardian gave Case 39 four stars, and described it as ‘gleefully gruesome,’ while highlighting its ‘sheer, sustained nastiness.’
E! Online highlighted Ferland’s ‘top-notch’ performance for praise, describing her as being particularly ‘creepy’ as young Lilith.
The FilmFile called it ‘a well-crafted, aesthetically artful suspenser,’ while ViewLondon said that it was ‘enjoyably over-the-top.’
Among the audience members singing its praises on Rotten Tomatoes was Harrie K, who described it as a ‘fun horror that gets under your skin.’
Elsewhere, Joji J singled out one scene as the one which made them ‘feel sick to my stomach,’ as Nat noted that it ‘scarred me as a child.’
These voices help to elevate Case 39’s somewhat paltry score of 40% on the review aggregator, with the critics’ consensus faring even worse at 22%.
Originally filmed in 2007, Case 39 underwent a tumultuous journey to the screen.
Originally scheduled for release in 2008, it wasn’t actually put out into US cinemas until 2010 – in which time the thematically similar Orphan had already come and gone.
Coincidentally, Orphan star Isabelle Furhman had been considered to play the part of Lilith, before it ultimately went to Ferland instead.
By the time it did hit cinemas, Zellweger seemed reluctant to talk about it, largely swerving the press circuit surrounding its release.
Still, it’s far from the first embarrassing horror film on Zellweger’s resume, having previously starred with Matthew McConaughey in the 1995 sequel Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.
‘It was ridiculous. How we pulled that off, I have no idea. I’m sure none of it was legal… But what an experience. It was kamikaze filmmaking,’ she later told Yahoo Movies.
Case 39 is streaming now on Netflix UK.