SUNDANCE 2026: Natalie Erika James’ Saccharine Brings Psychological Body Horror to Opening Night
- Horror Movies Uncut
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SUNDANCE 2026: Natalie Erika James Returns With Psychological Body Horror Saccharine
Sundance Film Festival will once again serve as a launchpad for filmmaker Natalie Erika James, who returns to Park City with Saccharine, a psychological body horror film set to world premiere as part of the 2026 lineup.
Following her acclaimed debut Relic, which premiered at Sundance in 2020, James continues her exploration of intimate, internalized horror—this time turning her attention toward body image, self-worth, and the destructive rituals born from cultural obsession with appearance.
Saccharine stars Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, and Madeleine Madden. The film centers on Hana, a lovelorn medical student whose desire for acceptance leads her to participate in an obscure and deeply unsettling weight-loss trend: consuming human ashes. What begins as a compulsive attempt at control quickly spirals into terror as a sinister force takes hold.
James frames the story through a supernatural lens, using body horror not for shock alone, but as a mirror for shame-driven behavior and the quiet violence of societal expectations. Described as both modern and deeply personal, Saccharine confronts the normalization of self-punishment and disordered thinking, particularly within spaces shaped by gendered and queer experiences.
While James has built her reputation on restrained, emotionally grounded horror, Saccharine appears poised to push further into visceral territory—melding psychological unease with corporeal transformation. The result is a film that promises discomfort not only in what it shows, but in what it reflects back at the audience.
The film will debut as an Opening Night late screening on January 22, marking one of Sundance 2026’s most anticipated genre premieres.
Sundance 2026 Screening Schedule for Saccharine
World Premiere: Thursday, Jan. 22 at 11:55 PM — The Ray Theatre
Public Screening #2: Friday, Jan. 23 at 8:10 PM — Redstone 2
Public Screening #3: Saturday, Jan. 25 at 8:30 PM — Broadway Centre Cinemas 3 (SLC)
Public Screening #4: Monday, Jan. 27 at 11:55 PM — Library Theatre
Public Screening #5: Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 9:15 PM — The Yarrow Theatre
With Saccharine, Natalie Erika James continues to solidify her place as one of contemporary horror’s most incisive voices—using the genre not as escape, but as confrontation. Horror Movies Uncut will be tracking the film closely throughout its Sundance run.