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Saccharine

Book Tickets

No upcoming sessions

Synopsis

Nothing is sweet in this atmospheric Aussie body horror from Natalie Erika James (Relic) about a medical student taking sinister weight-loss pills.

When medical student, Hana (Midori Francis, Grey's Anatomy), runs into an old friend who has drastically slimmed down since high school, she becomes enticed to take the same weight loss medication. Desperate to gain the adoration of her personal trainer and crush, Alanya (Madeleine Madden, Mystery Road), Hana gets wrapped up in her insecurities and addicted to the drug – so much so, she starts making her own pills. But the main ingredient brings ghastly consequences when Hana is haunted by a horrifying and hungry ghost that grows larger while Hana’s body grows smaller. James's stylish, genre filmmaking is a timely and biting critique of online consumption and body-centric culture.

Festivals

Berlin International Film Festival 2026 | Official Selection
Sundance Film Festival 2026 | Official Selection
Sydney Film Festival 2026 | Official Selection

Screening at Luna Leederville from July 9.

Opening Date

Thursday, Jul 9, 2026

Rating

MA15+

Length

112m

Genre

New Release Horror

Reviews

Saccharine is a welcome addition to the body horror genre that gets at our overtly online doom

Screen Hub

Real-life horror of one’s own body is the most insidious kind of body horror at play here, though James’ film offers a measure of the gorily fantastical stuff too.

Variety

A frenzied, nightmarish climax of greed, desire and full-tilt excess that takes a sharp-toothed bite out of society’s toxic obsession with women’s bodies.

Screen International