Written and directed by Helena Hawkes, desperate to lose weight, a young woman grapples with the ravenous demons eating her up inside. Starring: Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Courtney Eaton, Arianna Ortiz and Monica Garcia Pérez.

There are a lot of topics which are perfectly suited to horror because of how the genre can so succinctly demonstrate how harrowing they are. Making a film’s events seem like they’re happening outside of reality or in an altered state, before revealing that in fact, they exist entirely within the everyday. Thick Skin taps into that with a passion. To simply say it aloud that Helena Hawkes is tackling body dysmorphia and eating disorders using genre cinema, may initially sound odd or even potentially misguided, but try to push that quick judgement aside, and be seated because it’s actually such a clever choice.

A big part of that is how uncomfortable Thick Skin tries, and undoubtedly succeeds, to make you feel. It’s exploring themes which should make you uncomfortable, the impact which they have is devastating and ravages both the body and the mind. Hawkes is making a considerable effort to show how those suffering with them can feel like pressure is coming from every angle, even when it’s actually primarily internalised. As well as how these conditions can wildly and dangerously alter a person’s perspective, and spiral out of control very quickly, without the constant presence of a vigilant support system.

Hawkes makes a lot of thoughtful choices with how she places her shots, alongside the editing the film’s modern style and its clean, bright cinematography, it’s reminiscent of The Substance. Particularly in how it employs body horror, sound and the character’s lapses in reality. All of those choices work to put you on edge, and they’re so well supported by the performance from the wonderful Keyla Monterroso Mejia. Mejia is best known for her comedy work so to see her tackle Thick Skin and get to grips with something psychological and intense is fascinating. She’s so great at creating relatable characters, which is even more impactful here as it helps the sharp notes of this story slice even harder.

Thick Skin is clever, tense, disturbing and gripping, it will keep you on edge and uses discomfort so well. It’s a delightful surprise just how uncomfortable Helena Hawkes will manage to make you feel with this one. It’s led by an excellent performance from Keyla Monterroso Mejia who is absolutely a star on the rise who you should be paying attention to. It’s thoughtfully shot to push its impact to the max, and doesn’t attempt to be artificially subtle, it wants to make noise and hit you hard. You will want to look away, and that in itself is a perfect reminder of how important it is to not shy away, to see issues like body dysmorphia and eating disorders for the genuine horrors that they are in reality, and the sincere dangers that they pose.

Verdict: ✯✯✯✯ | 8/10

Screening as part of HollyShorts UK 2026