"Provoking a gypsie is the fastest way to lose weight..."

Billy, a very corpulent lawyer, runs over an old gypsy with his car. The dame’s father, who saw everything, curses the driver by muttering a few inaudible words before disappearing.

When he wakes up the next day, Billy is shocked to notice he has lost lots of weight. He is surprised but congratulates himself for his diets. However, days pass and he continues to shrink. It is very curious now that he has stopped his diet. The gypsies come back in his mind and he is scared. He tries everything to get them to remove the curse but they do not listen. The situation becomes critical: the mirror reveals a skeletal human being on the verge of death.

Thinner is a good reconstruction of a Stephen King novel. On the other hand, we still, from time to time, get the feeling we are watching a made for TV movie. However, the story is simple and effective. The special effects are rare but the makeup is excellent, a characteristic which is even more crucial in this movie because it is what gives it all its credibility.

The gypsy culture is often underestimated nowadays but King has dug up something interesting with this subject. Sadly (or happily for those who don’t care), we only get a brief look at their culture. Anyways, the movie isn’t centred on them but rather on Billy who does not stop losing weight.

One of the appreciable things this movie has to offer is that we don’t get the feeling the ending will be typical. It is a finale that will displease some but, in all honesty, I find it perfect: it is one of those double conclusion where everything ends well, but we are reminded of a forgotten event that causes a troubled ending.