Thinestra - Review of the Raindance Film Festival 2025

      Thinestra, 2025.

      Directed by Nathan Hertz.

      Featuring Melissa Macedo, Michelle Macedo, Mary Beth Barone, Annie Ngosi Ilonzeh, and Brian Huskey.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A young woman takes a weight-loss supplement, only to have the pounds she sheds return as a destructive double. In a world where appearances often overshadow abilities, wouldn’t it be amazing to have a pill that effortlessly melts away the weight? The trend of seemingly miraculous diet products has persisted for decades, with no end in sight.

      Taking some inspiration from last year’s concept-driven body horror film The Substance, this captivating new feature explores society's fixation on image and beauty, particularly regarding women. We follow Penny (Michelle Macedo), who struggles with her relationship with food and body image. She exhausts all options to lose weight – from fitness classes to workout sessions and strict diets – yet fails to achieve her desired results.

      Her profession doesn’t help, as she works as an image retoucher in a photography studio, where she easily edits away any parts considered unnecessary or undesirable from images. One day, during a warm Christmas in Los Angeles, a model condescendingly recommends a bag of diet pills. After a particularly upsetting Christmas party leads to binge eating, Penny recalls the pills she brought home from work. Overwhelmed with guilt and self-hatred for her cookie binge, she decides to take the pills named ‘Thinestra’.

      What follows is indeed astonishing and grotesquely engaging. The weight drops off at an alarming rate, and the excess becomes Penny’s sinister counterpart, Penelope (played convincingly by Melissa Macedo, Michelle's real-life twin). As the horror-social satire unfolds, Penelope increasingly asserts dominance over Penny. Horrific murders occur, painting a picture of utter madness. While there is a dark humor in these events, the underlying truth of the chaotic scenes is illuminating.

      The film skillfully portrays the shame and self-blame many individuals experience regarding dieting and fitness. The Macedo sisters excel in their roles as Penny and Penelope, with the frantic breakdowns and bloody chaos following the effects of Thinestra being entertainingly executed.

      However, perhaps the film’s strongest aspect is its exploration of the inner terror stemming from the pressure to conform to certain looks or societal expectations. The cruelty people inflict on their self-image represents the true nightmare, and this film honors that struggle by addressing it as a significant issue.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      Robert W Monk