This New Body Horror Wanted to Be 'The Substance' – And It Almost Succeeded

In 2024, Coralie Fargeat's body horror The Substance became a true phenomenon, spawning numerous imitators and continuing the discourse on "beauty horror."

Natalie Erika James' new movie, Saccharine, is another reflection on this topic – it offers an uncomfortable exploration of an eating disorder through the tale of a magic pill.

What Is 'Saccharine' About?

Hana is a quiet medical student who suffers from compulsive overeating caused by chronic stress and a lack of love. Rather than seeking psychotherapy, she goes to the gym, where she meets Alanya and joins her experimental weight-loss program.

Meanwhile, Hana runs into a former classmate named Melissa who tells her about a miracle drug that burns fat without dieting. Hana learns that the pills contain human ashes and decides to make them herself, stealing the remains of a corpse.

The homemade supplements are effective, Hana's body thins, but her mental health deteriorates alongside it. She becomes caught in a spiral of self-destruction, haunted by terrifying visions and chronic hunger.

'Saccharine' Is a Terrifying Exploration of Eating Disorders and Their Consequences

Saccharine is a rare horror movie that exists on the fringes of the genre: it presents a classic narrative of a monster with a growling stomach who tempts you with a chocolate bar, while also offering a scathing commentary on the cult of dieting, weight stigma, and fatphobia.

Cinema couldn't resist its unpredictability, and the movie became a characteristic reflection of the lifestyle of the average modern young woman, who is accustomed to seeing her body as the cause of all her problems.

The villainous character in Saccharine alludes more to the psychological than the supernatural: a giant naked woman appears with a drop in blood sugar and embodies Hana's panicky fear of eating.

Natalia Erica James Is Extremely Comfortable in the Realm of Body Horror

For Natalie Erika James, reflecting on physical and mental states is a familiar theme: her Relic rhymed senile dementia with a terrifying monster, and Apartment 7A turned isolation into a weapon against critical thinking.

The new flick is more straightforward, but the stakes are significantly higher – it's difficult to find a horror film that so accurately conveys the exacerbation of symptoms of an eating disorder, from compulsive overeating to total starvation.

Hana's relationship with food evolves throughout the movie: before taking the capsule, she experiences euphoria with every pound lost. Afterward, however, every meal turns into a panic attack.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Saccharine'?

• Saccharine has 73% from critics and 52% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.9/10.

• On Letterboxd, Saccharine scored 3.1/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Saccharine'?

Saccharine is available to stream on Shudder and AMC+.