This was a film that I learned about due to it coming to the Raindance Film Festival. It made its world premiere there which was interesting. The title intrigued me. It makes sense as we get into the movie. Other than that, I decided to come into this one blind.
Synopsis: A young woman takes a new weight-loss pill and the fat she sheds returns in the form of her blood-thirsty doppelgänger.
We start this at a surreal spin class. There is a woman that is hungry who ends up attacking her teacher. This turns out to be Penny (Michelle Macedo). She is struggling with body issues. What we'll learn is that her mother pushed eating as a coping mechanism. Now that she's an adult, she's having issues breaking this mindset. What is interesting is that she's far from obese. She sees herself that way.
Now she touches up photographs for a living. The photographer she works for is Neils (Brian Huskey). He's passive aggressive with comments he makes. The model they're shooting that day is played by Mary Beth Barone. Chaela (Shannon Dang) is also the makeup person. Penny tries to make small talk with the model, asking her what it is like to be thin. This is where she is given a new mysterious weight loss drug, Thinestra.
When she goes home, we see a cute interaction with her neighbor, Josh (Gavin Stenhouse). He's attracted to her and she feels the same. She does deny coming to his place as she is exhausted. She also is afraid that if she breaks her diet, it will cause her to gain weight. Even with what she's doing, she seems to be.
Penny gives in and tries the drug. It has vicious side effects. It makes Penny ill to the point where she's vomiting. It also causes her body to leak fat. It also makes her ravenous, to the point where she attacks people. She doesn't remember doing these things and maybe she isn't. She is rebranding herself Penelope (Melissa Macedo). This brings her new found confidence, but there's also a dark side that can't be controlled from it.
That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I'll start is something that I'm seeing other people say about this film. It coming out as close as it did to The Substance is going to draw unfair comparisons. I will say that they are dealing with similar themes. We're looking at the unreal expectations of women. Where that one is dealing more with aging, both still look at weight and the need for the perfect body. They're both using a miracle drug with dangerous side effects.
Now that I've set that up, let me delve more into our lead character Penny. What's funny is that when watching the opening credits, I saw that there were two characters with the same last name. It didn't click until about the end of the second act. What I will say here is that I don't fully buy into what this film is doing since I don't think Michelle Macedo is big as they're trying to get us to buy. That's not necessarily the point though. This is something that I've gotten into a debate with my wife about. Penny isn't comfortable in her body. She's trying to make changes and struggling. When she's given this pill, she's willing to try since so many other things have failed.
It is from here that she deals with the dangerous side effects. There's gross body horror as she is leaking the fat. It made me gag so I give credit to make it look real like it does. It just seems so greasy. To make it more gross, I know what it smells like due to having a deposit on my neck that I had to drain. Every time she takes a dose, she loses 10+ pounds. She's excited for the results, but she also loses control. There is Penelope this extra confidence that does have a byproduct as well that she is rude. It goes farther than that when she becomes a feral monster with uncontrollable hunger. She hurts those that she loves in the process.
Let's then shift to the acting performances. Since this is a character study of Penny/Penelope, let's start with the Macedos. They're both great in bringing this character to life. This isn't meant to body shame in any way, but they're body size wasn't overly noticeable on screen. I'm glad that for the more confident version, she wears more revealing clothing. I do like that Michelle plays timidly where Melissa is more aggressive. Husky and Dang are good as the two people she works with. Stenhouse is such a nice guy in his role. I also like Norma Maldonado as her mother. Everyone is good at setting up and pushing our lead character to where she ends up.
All that is left then is filmmaking. I've already started talking about the effects so let's finish that. The practical effects are great. Not only was the fat gross but the blood we got looked good. I also look at what they do with Penelope when she goes feral. The ears are great and she looks monstrous. That's also a credit to Macedo for how she played it. I should also praise the cinematography and framing to hide the seams. What they did with the surreal scenes was interesting. I don't love dream sequences, but since Penny loses herself and blacks out, it makes sense. Other than that, the soundtrack for what they needed to build the atmosphere. Sound design as well.
In conclusion, this offers a compelling and at times grotesque exploration of body image and societal pressures. While comparisons to The Substance are inevitable due to shared themes, Thinestra carves its own niche with its unique take on a dangerous weight-loss drug and its horrifying consequences. The practical effects, particularly the leaking fat and the monstrous transformation of Penelope, are visceral and effective. Michelle and Melissa Macedo deliver strong performances, embodying the multifaceted struggle of Penny/Penelope with nuanced portrayals. The supporting cast, cinematography and sound design further enhance the film's atmosphere and narrative impact. Despite minor quibbles about the initial portrayal of Penny's body size, the film ultimately succeeds as a thought-provoking character study, leaving a lasting impression with its unsettling blend of body horror and psychological drama. If that sounds interesting, I'd recommend giving it a watch.
My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
