Australia's Natalie Erika James is serving up a gut-wrenching feast with Saccharine, a body horror film that tackles the disturbing world of eating disorders and body dysmorphia with unflinching ferocity. This latest offering from the talented director joins the ranks of Australia's thriving horror scene, which has seen critically acclaimed titles like Talk to Me and Late Night With the Devil make waves in recent years.
The film kicks off with a sticky start, plunging us into the extreme close-up world of Hana (Midori Francis), a medical student with a sweet tooth for jam doughnuts - and an unhealthy obsession with losing weight. As she devours her treats in reverse, we're thrust into a twisted game of cat and mouse with her gym trainer, Alanya (Madeleine Madden). But Hana's fixation soon takes a dark turn when she encounters a former high school friend who's undergone a dramatic transformation - for the worse.
Enter 'miracle' weight-loss pills, touted as a quick fix for Hana's woes. But there's a sinister secret ingredient lurking in these tablets: human ashes. Rather than shunning this ghastly truth, Hana becomes increasingly unhinged, concocting her own versions of the pills using the corpse of a woman who donated her body to science - aka 'Big Bertha'. The film raises the stakes by drawing on Buddhist concepts like the 'hungry ghost', asking: just how far will Hana's all-consuming desire drive her?
Director James is unafraid to push boundaries, delivering a slow-burning creepiness that'll leave you squirming in your seat. Midori Francis brings remarkable restraint and nuance to Hana's performance, anchoring a film that's both unsettling and meticulously layered. James expertly blends supernatural horror with visceral dread, sidestepping ghost-movie clichés for a uniquely unnerving experience.
The visuals are nothing short of stomach-churning, with human insides presented as food - a grotesque fusion of the desirable and disgusting. While Saccharine hits Aussie screens on 9th July, UK fans will need to await confirmation of its release date and streaming availability (US viewers can catch it on Shudder from 24th July). For those affected by eating disorders, organisations like Beat in the UK offer vital support - a reminder that this film's unflinching portrayal is a necessary step towards sparking conversation and change.