The supernatural body horror Saccharine, written and directed by Natalie Erika James, is generating early buzz as it continues its premiere run at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Critics at the festival are calling the film a provocative and gruesome exploration of modern obsessions that lingeringly unsettles viewers.
Saccharine unfolds as an intense metaphor for contemporary society’s fixation on diet culture and body image, transforming an obscure weight-loss obsession into a literal nightmare. In his review, Deadline notes that the film “turns society’s diet obsession into a gruesome body horror”, with a haunting atmosphere that fuses psychological dread with visceral shock.
Star Midori Francis delivers a standout performance as Hana, a medical student haunted by a malevolent force after participating in an extreme and eerie ritual involving consuming human ashes. Other key cast members include Danielle Macdonald and Madeleine Madden, who help deepen the film’s emotional and psychological complexity.
The project, acquired by Shudder and the Independent Film Company ahead of its festival debut, sees James solidifying her reputation for bold, atmospheric horror following her acclaimed work on Relic and Apartment 7A. Shudder’s acquisition secures North American and U.K. rights, with plans for a broader theatrical and streaming rollout later in 2026 after its Sundance festival exposure.
Festival audiences and critics are already noting Saccharine’s effective use of body horror to reflect real-world anxieties, a thematic bridge that distinguishes it from more conventional genre entries and highlights James’s growing voice within horror cinema.
As Sundance progresses, Saccharine stands out as one of the most talked-about horror films of this year’s lineup, pois
