What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedMama
Andy Muschietti · Film · 2013
If you loved Mama, start with IT: Welcome to Derry (Andy Muschietti, 2025) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Mama across media.
What hooked you in Mama was the way deep-seated childhood trauma manifests as a terrifying, physical presence lurking in the shadows.
Books on the same thread
The Haunting of Hill House
Shirley Jackson · Book · 1987
Shares 3 threads with Mama: isolation, the uncanny, Psychological Horror.
Much like the unsettling presence in Mama, this classic explores how the uncanny architecture of an abandoned home reflects the fragile mental states of those trapped within its walls.
Doctor Sleep: A Novel
Stephen King · Book · 2013
Shares 2 threads with Mama: Trauma, Supernatural Horror.
Just as Mama centers on the protection of vulnerable children from supernatural entities, this story follows a gifted protector shielding a young girl from a predatory, otherworldly threat.
Room
Emma Donoghue · Book · 2023
Shares a thread with Mama: trauma.
While lacking the supernatural element, this narrative captures the same intense, claustrophobic bond of a mother nurturing her child through a traumatic, isolated environment found in Mama.
Momo
Michael Ende · Book · 1973
Explores: Time, Corporate greed, Childhood.
If the unsettling atmosphere of Mama drew you in, this fantasy offers a darker look at how childhood innocence is threatened by efficient, soul-stealing forces in the shadows.
Series on the same thread
IT: Welcome to Derry
Andy Muschietti · Series · 2025
Explores: Childhood Trauma, Ancient Evil, Group of Friends.
Director Andy Muschietti brings his signature style from Mama to this series, focusing on how ancient, lurking evils prey upon the secrets and fears of a small town.
American Horror Story
Ryan Murphy · Series · 2011
Shares 3 threads with Mama: Trauma, Psychological Horror, Supernatural Horror.
This series mirrors the disturbing supernatural dread found in Mama, utilizing gothic settings and complex power dynamics to explore how the past refuses to stay buried and forgotten.
The Haunting of Hill House
Mike Flanagan · Series · 2018
Shares 3 threads with Mama: Trauma, Psychological Horror, Ghost Story.
This adaptation perfectly echoes the core emotional weight of Mama by blending a fractured family dynamic with the haunting, persistent trauma of a supernatural past that refuses release.
Mom
Eddie Gorodetsky · Series · 2013
Explores: Dysfunctional Family, Addiction Recovery, Mother-Daughter Relationship.
This show explores the intense, often dysfunctional mother-child bonds that serve as the emotional bedrock of Mama, albeit through the lens of recovery and chaotic family life instead.
Podcasts on the same thread
MALIKMATA
Podcast
Shares a thread with Mama: Supernatural Horror.
If the ghost story elements of Mama left you wanting more, these tales tap into similar primal folklore fears and the unsettling nature of supernatural encounters in the dark.
Monsters Among Us
Derek Hayes | Audioboom Studios · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Unexplained Phenomena, First-hand Testimony, Atmospheric Horror.
These firsthand accounts capture the same feeling of inexplicable dread found in Mama, grounding the supernatural in a way that makes the unseen feel dangerously and intimately close.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Mama a supernatural thriller?
Yes, Mama is classified as a supernatural thriller. The film follows two young girls who disappear into the woods after their parents are killed and are later haunted by a mysterious presence that follows them into their new life.
What is the premise of Mama?
Mama tells the story of two young girls who vanish into the woods the day their parents are killed. After being rescued years later, they attempt to start a new life, only to discover that a supernatural entity remains attached to them.
Who presented the film Mama?
The supernatural thriller Mama was presented by Guillermo del Toro. The film was directed by Andy Muschietti and focuses on the haunting experiences of two young girls who are rescued after living in the woods for several years.
Does Mama involve a haunting?
Yes, Mama involves a haunting. After two girls are rescued from the woods where they disappeared as children, they find that something is still attempting to tuck them in at night, indicating that a supernatural force has followed them home.