Independent Film Company (IFC) has shared the official trailer and poster for Saccharine, its newest supernatural body horror movie from Relic filmmaker Natalie Erika James. Following its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, the film is now scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 22.
In the film, Hana, a lovelorn medical student, becomes terrorized by a sinister force after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes,” reads the official synopsis. “James’ third feature offers a modern and timely take on toxic messaging around weight and appearance that permeates every corner of our culture. With Saccharine, James takes an intimate look into one woman’s struggle with body image, self-worth, and shame-driven compulsion, told through a supernatural body-horror with a queer lens.”
Check out the Saccharine trailer below (watch more trailers):
What happens in the Saccharine trailer?
The video introduces Grey’s Anatomy star Midori Francis as a medical student who discovers a disturbing way to lose weight by turning human ashes into weight-loss pills. Her unhealthy obsession with her image leads her to a haunting experience, as she finds herself terrorized by the ghost of the person whose ashes she ate. The trailer offers a glimpse at some of the film’s terrifying sequences as Francis’ character slowly succumbs to the ghost’s demands.
Saccharine is written and directed by James. The movie also stars Madeleine Madden, Danielle Macdonald, Anna Adams, Joseph Baldwin, Lisa Crittenden, Lucy Goleby, Emily Milledge, Annie Shapero, Showko Showfukutei, and more. Executive producers are Timo Argillander, Alicia Brown, Andrea Scarso, and Cailah Scobie. It is produced by James, Anna McLeish, and Sarah Shaw. Since the film’s world premiere, it has already garnered an approval rating of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 23 reviews.
