Thinestra – Movie Review (3/5)

THINESTRA is a body horror movie that feels extremely relevant as it takes a hefty swing at the diet medication situation. As someone who has never forgotten the adaptation of Stephen King’s “Thinner”, this was just my kind of body horror. Having twins play the main character is genius. Read our full Thinestra horror movie review here!

THINESTRA is a horror movie with a body horror plot focused on dieting. Or rather, the actual body horror element has more to do with diet medication than food restriction. Still, there is ultimately a supernatural element to this story. It’s not about fat shaming, nor is it a jab at Big Pharma. Well, maybe a little, but not that much.

If anything, it’s about accepting yourself and seeing yourself through the eyes of those who care about you. I know this might sound very fluffy and not scary, but this is a body horror movie, and it gets nasty. The practical effects of this movie were brilliantly efficient in ways I never saw coming… despite them being so obviously ideal!

Continue reading our Thinestra horror movie review below. Find it on VOD from April 14, 2026.

Starve, then binge… and self-hate!

Thinestra begins in a way that many will recognize: Penny (Michelle Macedo) is a young woman who dreams of losing weight and getting that perfect body. She probably has a BMI that should be lower by medical standards, but she works out constantly and tries to eat right.

Of course, she also tends to then binge-eat all the stuff she has denied herself and then hates herself for it.

From a pretty obvious case of body dysmorphia to being surrounded by a world that focuses on being thin, Penny can’t really win. She works with retouching images of models, and hears how even the models are critiqued for everything. And yet, she believes her life would be better if she were thinner.

It’s the relentless societal pressures around perfection that she also puts on herself. A model, who does not look happy, but is thin, offers Penny a few pills. They’re called “Thinestra” and are clearly a weight-loss drug inspired by those that are taking the world by storm these days.

Within a day, she has lost the first 10 pounds, and her confidence immediately boosts. Interestingly, people around her have loved and desired her all along, but she just couldn’t see it. Now, as she experiences this (albeit horrifying) transformation, there is a consequence: The fat she sheds is transformed into her ravenous doppelgänger, Penelope (Melissa Macedo).

The result is deadly and chaotic!

Drop the fat in record time

I’ve already initialized this Thinestra review by mentioning Stephen King’s Thinner, and if you’ve watched that 1996 movie (directed by Tom Holland), then you’ll probably understand why. Both focus on a character who desperately wants to lose weight and decides to use somewhat “alternative” methods. To put it mildly.

Also, both characters can – once they’ve opted for their respective diet methods – eat whatever they want and not gain weight.

In the case of Thinestra, I was so extremely impressed with how they showed the main character practically sweating out fat. She literally squeezes her hands down her leg, and the fat just comes out through her skin. It’s so extremely efficient and a perfect way to do practical effects. As much as I love huge and impressive effects, nothing beats this stuff.

And yes, it is quite disturbing to watch the scenes where the Thinestra (which is a pill) takes effect. Every time she takes a pill, a little time goes by, and then it kicks in. Violently so, I might add.

Again, Thinestra is unapologetic body horror in that sense. Having twins, Michelle Macedo and Melissa Macedo, portray the real version and the demonic fat loss demon version of the same character, is another brilliant move.

Watch Thinestra on Digital

Thinestra is directed by Nathan Hertz (Starfish producer), and the screenplay was written by Avra Fox-Lerner (Bloodline). The horror movie was produced by Alexandra Lubenova & Kelly Parker, and has been quite the hit on the international festival circuit. It has screened at Sitges International Film Festival, Raindance, Screamfest, Boston SciFi Film Festival, and many more.

Thinestra even won the VORTEX Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Award Grand Prize, so it comes with plenty of accolades, and I am recommending that you check it out as well.

I love the focus on shame and appetite turned into this darkly comedic body horror movie. There is no shame towards Penny’s body nor her desire to lose weight. Instead, there’s a sympathy with her, and a sadness related to that nasty voice inside her head that cancels out the loving and honest words of people around her.

Also, there is a lot of gross stuff and bloody consequences as the weight loss drugs come into full effect. Enjoy!

Thinestra will premiere on North American streaming platforms on April 14, 2026.

Details

Director: Nathan Hertz
Writer: Avra Fox-Lerner
Cast: Michelle Macedo, Melissa Macedo, Gavin Stenhouse, Shannon Dang, Norma Maldonado, Brian Huskey, Annie Ilonzeh, Mary Beth Barone