THINESTRA Trailer Unleashes a Twisted Body Horror Take on Diet Culture
Body horror is having a moment again, and Thinestra is the latest film stepping into that space with something grotesque, uncomfortable, and weirdly relatable.
A new trailer has dropped for the upcoming indie horror film, and it takes the pressures of diet culture and turns them into something truly monstrous.
The film stars identical twins Michelle Macedo (Girlboss) and Melissa Macedo (V/H/S/99), pulling double duty in a story that leans hard into psychological horror with a physical, skin-crawling edge.
They play Penny, a woman struggling with body dysmorphia, and her horrifying counterpart, Penelope, a manifestation of everything she’s trying to suppress.
At the center of the story is Penny’s desperation. Living under constant pressure to look a certain way, she turns to a mysterious weight-loss drug that feels very much inspired by real-world trends.
What follows isn’t a miracle transformation. Instead, it spirals into something far more disturbing as the weight she loses doesn’t just disappear. It comes back as Penelope, a ravenous doppelgänger with a hunger that can’t be controlled.
Set during a sweaty Los Angeles Christmas, the film leans into discomfort on every level, both emotional and physical. It digs into obsession, shame, and the complicated relationship people have with their own bodies, all wrapped in a darkly comedic horror package.
Director Nathan Hertz, making his feature debut, summed up the film’s core idea, saying: “Body-image anxiety becomes a literal monster in this story. Penelope isn’t the villain — she’s the symptom.
“The real antagonist is the voice in Penny’s head that tells her she’s not enough. The film exaggerates these anxieties to grotesque levels, but the feelings are incredibly common.”
That concept gives the film a sharp edge. It isn’t just about shock value or transformation horror. It’s tapping into something personal that a lot of people understand, then cranking it up into nightmare territory.
The script comes from Avra Fox-Lerner (Bloodline), with Alexandra Lubenova and Kelly Parker producing. The cast is rounded out by Mary Beth Barone (Overcompensating), Annie Ilonzeh (Chicago Fire), Gavin Stenhouse (9-1-1), Shannon Dang (Kung Fu), Brian Huskey (Veep), and Norma Maldonado (Jane the Virgin).
Lubenova shared her excitement about the release, saying: “We’re thrilled to partner with Breaking Glass Pictures on the North American release of Thinestra.
“They’re a trusted home for elevated genre titles and immediately understood the film’s place within a new wave of body horror centered on appetite, desire, and costly physical transformation.”
That “new wave” comparison feels right, especially with audiences leaning into films that use body horror as a way to explore identity, control, and self-perception. Thinestra looks like it’s aiming to carve out its own space in that conversation.
Thinestra hits Digital on April 14 and it’s going to take audiences on a wild, unsettling ride.