Ozempic Horror! Midori Francis's New Film Will Shock You!

Natalie Erika James, the director who brought us the chilling "Relic" back in 2020, is back at Sundance with a film that’s sure to get under your skin – literally. "Saccharine" is a Body horror flick that’s not just about jump scares, but about the horrors we inflict on ourselves in the pursuit of an impossible ideal. It's a film that feels incredibly timely, especially in our age of Ozempic and relentless self-optimization.

Ozempic Horror! Midori Francis's New Film Will Sho...

The film centers on Hana, played with compelling vulnerability by Midori Francis. Hana is a medical student drowning in textbooks and battling a crippling lack of self-esteem fueled by her weight. A chance encounter with a shockingly slimmer friend unveils the secret weapon: The Grey, a mysterious and prohibitively expensive new diet pill. This sets Hana down a dark path of obsession and increasingly disturbing choices.

Things take a decidedly macabre turn when Hana, driven by desperation, reverse-engineers The Grey. She discovers its unsettling ingredient: human ashes. Yes, you read that right. Initially disgusted, she eventually crosses a line, incinerating part of "Big Bertha," the overweight cadaver her group is working on, and synthesizing her own version of the coveted pill. It's a truly unsettling moment that marks a point of no return for Hana.

Francis delivers a powerful performance, really capturing the internal torment of someone struggling with body dysmorphia. However, the fatsuit she wears at the beginning of the film, while necessary for the character's arc, can feel a little distracting at times. That said, the film utilizes visceral mukbang ASMR sequences to amplify the character's binge eating disorder, making the audience viscerally experience Hana’s struggles. It's intense and unsettling.

What starts as a study of mental health challenges steadily escalates into something far more disturbing. James isn't afraid to push the boundaries, and "Saccharine" is a testament to that. The film is a potent blend of psychological drama and outright Body horror, a stark reminder of the lengths people will go to in the name of beauty, or rather, the warped perception of it. I wouldn't recommend eating anything beforehand, but if you're a fan of the genre and ready to be disturbed, "Saccharine" is definitely one to watch.

“Saccharine” is produced by Natalie Erika James, Anna McLeish, and Sarah Shaw and also stars Danielle Macdonald and Madeleine Madden. Clocking in at 1 hour and 52 minutes, it is currently premiering at Sundance as a Midnight selection.