Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- disturbing
- grim
- sardonic
- late night horror
- stephen king marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the Stephen King adaptation bland, poorly scripted, tonally broad, and lacking convincing suspense or memorable characters.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Billy Halleck is hexed after causing a fatal accident and progressively loses weight as the curse advances.
Billy's rapidly thinning body, requiring prominent makeup and fat-suit effects, is the central visual motif.
Billy is a successful defense lawyer who turns to organized crime and social power to escape the consequences of his actions.
The film combines a macabre curse, exaggerated physical transformation, and comic-horror framing.
Films like Thinner, and why
The Monkey's Paw
supernatural curse, moral reckoning, and grotesque bodily transformation in a mainstream horror format
Needful Things
small-town supernatural horror centered on guilt, punishment, and an inescapable curse
The Dark Half
stephen king adaptation combining supernatural punishment with grim body horror and darkly comic tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Tom Holland
- Release Date
- 1996-10-25
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (700)
Cast
- Robert John Burke
- Michael Constantine
- Lucinda Jenney
- Kari Wührer
- John Horton
- Sam Freed
- Daniel von Bargen
- Joe Mantegna
- Elizabeth Franz
- Walter Bobbie
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Thinner about?
- A prosperous lawyer seeks criminal help to break a gypsy's fatal curse as his body wastes away in grotesque increments.
- What is Thinner like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Thinner as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Thinner violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Thinner as moderate.
- What did critics think of Thinner?
- Critics broadly found the Stephen King adaptation bland, poorly scripted, tonally broad, and lacking convincing suspense or memorable characters.
- Which films are like Thinner?
- Films with a similar feel include The Monkey's Paw, Needful Things, and The Dark Half.
- How long is Thinner?
- Thinner runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Thinner?
- In United States, Thinner streams on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
