‘What’s eating you?’
Saccharine is a supernatural body-horror film about a young woman who becomes terrorised by a sinister force after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes!
The movie was written and directed by Natalie Erika James, best known for the acclaimed horror film Relic. The movie stars Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald and Madeleine Madden.
Plot:
The story follows Hana, a medical student struggling with body image issues and loneliness. Desperate to lose weight, she becomes involved with a disturbing underground fad centred on a miraculous slimming substance known as “the grey.” She soon discovers that the substance is made from human ashes and begins producing her own supply from a cadaver used in medical studies.
As Hana rapidly loses weight, she becomes haunted by the ghost of the deceased woman whose remains she has been consuming. What begins as a dangerous diet spirals into a nightmare involving obsession, guilt, self-loathing, grief, and increasingly grotesque body horror…
Themes:
The film explores:
Body dysmorphia and eating disorders
Social-media-driven beauty standards
Weight-loss culture and “miracle” solutions
Self-hatred and self-destruction
Grief, trauma, and personal identity
Review:
Midori Francis delivers a strong central performance. Director Natalie Erika James uses stylish visuals, practical effects, unsettling sound design, and eerie imagery to create a creepy atmosphere. The scenes that make use of reflections and distorted surfaces are particularly notable. Unlike body-horror films that often focus just on shock value alone, Saccharine uses its graphic imagery to reinforce its deeper themes of self-image, body-shame, and fear of consumption itself.
On the downside, Saccharine drags somewhat in the middle due to its running time of an hour and 53 minutes. At least twenty minutes could have been omitted. There is also an over-reliance on metaphors that are repeated. The audacious ending is commendable yet will alienate many viewers.
Overall, Saccharine an ambitious and thoughtful horror film about self-loathing and weight-loss obsession with some gratifyingly gruesome imagery. Nevertheless, it’s overlong so patience is required. If you enjoyed Natalie Erika James’ Relic or The Substance you’ll likely appreciate this too.
Rating: ★★★½
Release:
The film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival – where an audience member apparently passed out due to the strong imagery then had to leave the auditorium – before receiving a US theatrical release on May 22, 2026.
Trailer:
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