by Molly Page
Saccharine is an Australian horror film, and the third feature film from Natalie Erika James. It follows Hana, a medical student who begins taking a weight loss pill, and the body horror and haunting that ensues. The film is clearly drawing on fears surrounding Ozempic, with the weight loss pill in the film having a high cost, unforeseen side effects, and unacknowledged ingredients.
The film is also extremely relevant as thinness and body speculation has resurged online.
Fatphobia and eating disorders are often taboo, even within the horror genre. Some films like Drag Me To Hell, take an allegorical approach where the eating disorder can be interpreted but is not directly depicted. In The Ugly Stepsister the depiction of an eating disorder is only one aspect of the aggressive routine that the protagonist puts herself through in order to attain a beauty standard. Other depictions are hidden in underseen sequels like A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child which use a victim’s eating disorder as a way to cruelly taunt her with her nightmare; obesity. Thus, Saccharine is approaching the topic in a refreshingly explicit way. Even if its visual style and body horror is clearly inspired by The Substance’s success, as made abundantly clear by the opening credit scene.
The film intercuts scenes of binge eating with images of bodily insides in a grotesque manner. Extreme close-ups on the mouth with excessive chewing noises and stomach growls. Associating Hana’s eating habits with her medical student work, which becomes an important throughline through ‘Bertha.’ ‘Bertha’ is the body that Hana and her group are practicing on over the course of the film. She is mockingly nicknamed ‘Big Bertha’ due to her weight and represents the future Hana fears she will have; obese and dying of cancer. This is emphasised by Bertha and Hana sharing the same-coloured polished nails, strengthening their likeness. The pills in this film are made with human ashes, which Hana makes herself from the remains of ‘Bertha,’ but as a result ‘Bertha’ begins to haunt Hana.
We later learn that Bertha’s real name is Grace, and she died unsettled that she could not change her circumstances. I felt as though there needed to be a more empathetic lens attributed to Grace which the film does not successfully get across. While Hana meets with Grace’s family and attends her funeral after her time in medical school, Grace is still supposed to be horrifying to the audience. There are reasons that eating disorders have been typically avoided in horror films, and that is the challenge of not falling into harmful stereotypes. Grace’s weight is often emphasized in scary moments, with her body leaving prints in bed sheets or actively weighing down Hana to the point she cannot run away or breathe. She is supposed to be scary looking because of her domineering appearance, nudeness and how bald and unattractive she is. While the ending has somewhat of a twist that alleviates some of the haunting done by Grace, she is still a fat person stereotype that isn’t challenged in any meaningful or direct way.
Interestingly, Saccharine is told from a Japanese Australian experience, touching upon cultural ideas around fatness. Many representations of eating disorders are depicted by white women; thus, the film deviates a common stereotype. The film also looks at the contention between weight loss pills, fitness, and hereditary factors when it comes to weight. The audience learns later in the film that Hana’s father is obese, and it becomes increasingly clear that Hana does not want to continue this within the family. It is also the only time the film acknowledges that men can also have eating disorders, as the film is very female centric. Hana does not want to be looked after and judged the way she and her mother do to her father.
Hana is always aware of what others think, looking for validation from her old school friend who introduces her to the pill, and her fitness instructor. Whether this is her desire to be attractive to them or be them is left intentionally vague. The film lightly addresses how fitness and dieting is a more accepted method than weight loss drugs because the skinniness is ‘earned’ and the problems with fast acting weight loss methods. With a discussion between Hana and Alanya discussing concern over Hana’s dramatic weight loss which was definitely not being achieved only through the twelve-week program. However, these interesting ideas are not fulfilled in any depth, as the film is also juggling ideas around skinny influencer culture (with the potato masher trend), Asian culture and fatness and medical ethics. All while aspects like Hana as a character and the cultural reasons for fatphobia are further sidelined. We never know Hana beyond her thoughts around her body.
While Saccharine has a strong visual identity and beautiful shots, its central metaphor needed to be fleshed out more and specific about what it wanted to say.
SACCHARINE contains scenarios that may be distressing for people who live with or have experienced eating disorders and negative body image. If you are impacted by this material, please reach out for support:
The Butterfly National Helpline is contactable on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or visitwww.butterfly.org.au to chat online or email, 7 days a week, 8am-midnight (AEST/AEDT).