A chilling new horror film has secured major distribution ahead of its festival debut. Shudder and Independent Film Company have jointly acquired North American and U.K. rights to the supernatural body horror Saccharine, with the film now scheduled to open in theaters and on streaming on March 7, 2026, following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2026
Written and directed by Natalie Erika James, whose previous work includes the critically acclaimed horror films Relic and Apartment 7A (a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby), Saccharine marks her third feature and continues her rise as a bold genre filmmaker. The acquisition deal includes both theatrical release and subsequent streaming on Shudder, positioning the film to reach a broad horror audience once its festival run begins.
The story centers on Hana (played by Midori Francis), a medical student whose life takes a nightmarish turn after she becomes haunted by a sinister force following her involvement in an obscure weight-loss ritual involving eating human ashes. The narrative promises a blend of psychological dread and visceral body horror, aligning with James’s knack for exploring themes of the human body, identity, and obsession.
Saccharine also stars Danielle Macdonald (Patti Cake$) and Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time), rounding out a cast that brings emotional weight to a horror story rooted in both psychological terror and disturbing physical transformation.
In a statement, James expressed enthusiasm about returning to work with Shudder and Independent Film Company after her earlier success with Relic, praising their shared commitment to elevating original genre voices. Shudder executives similarly hailed Saccharine as a “chilling, utterly original vision” that taps into deep societal anxieties around body image and self-perception.
With its Sundance premiere approaching and distribution secured, Saccharine is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about horror films of early 2026, blending psychological unease with provocative thematic depth.
