Australian Horror Film SACCHARINE Sets July Cinema Release Following Festival Acclaim — Acclaimed Australian psychological horror film SACCHARINE is heading to cinemas nationwide on 9 July following an impressive festival run that has already seen the film premiere at Sundance, screen at the Berlinale and play to sold-out audiences at the Sydney Film Festival.
The new feature comes from writer and director Natalie Erika James, who made an immediate impact on the horror genre with her breakout debut Relic before going on to direct Apartment 7A starring Julia Garner.
SACCHARINE follows Hana, a first-year medical student who becomes obsessed with losing weight after witnessing the dramatic transformation of a friend taking a controversial new diet pill made from human ashes. Unable to afford the pills herself, Hana begins stealing bones from the cadaver she dissects in anatomy class. As the weight falls away, she finds herself haunted by the restless spirit of the woman she is consuming.
The psychological horror stars Midori Francis (Grey’s Anatomy, The Sex Lives of College Girls) as Hana, alongside Danielle Macdonald (If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You) as her best friend Josie and Madeleine Madden (Strife) as fitness influencer Alanya.
Produced by Carver Films and Thrum Films, SACCHARINE has received major production investment from Screen Australia, XYZ and Stan, in association with VicScreen.
Early reactions from its international and Australian festival screenings have positioned SACCHARINE as one of the year’s most talked-about local genre films, continuing the recent wave of Australian horror successes that have captured audiences around the world.
The film also explores themes of body image and eating disorders, with the filmmakers noting that some viewers may find aspects of the story distressing.
SACCHARINE opens in Australian cinemas on 9 July 2026.
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Australian Horror Film SACCHARINE Sets July Cinema Release Following Festival Acclaim
