The Substance

 

The Substance

2024

Director- Coralie Fargeat

Cast-Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid

            Demi Moore plays Elizabeth Sparkle, a Hollywood star who was once all the rave but now finds herself becoming irrelevant the older she gets. These feelings are intensified by her boss (Dennis Quaid) who only sees value in someone young and pretty.

            Elizabeth finds out about an underground medical procedure that will supposedly create a younger, hotter, perfect version of herself, but with some vague stipulations. The procedure creates Sue, a young sexy girl with a near perfect body. The stipulation is that Sue and Elizabeth can’t exist together and their continued existence requires them to voluntarily relinquish control to each other in a seven day cycle.

            The movie is a kind of feminist Jekyll and Hyde but rather than focusing on the psychological implications of good and evil, it is a body horror focusing on the self-loathing that can come with decrepitude, especially for someone that has derived much of their self-worth from attractiveness.

            Pretty early in the film, you’ll notice the copious amounts of nudity and in your face sexuality, especially with Sue. But its not gratuitous. The overt, almost candy coated, sensuality is juxtaposed against images of increasing decay, creating a powerful effect on the viewer. Good horror is supposed to conjure up strong feelings and The Substance does that. It elicits arousal and revulsion in tandem.

           If you’re not familiar with “body horror”, the genre focuses on our relationship with our bodies; the biological, physical space that we occupy. The horror, rather than coming from an external source like a serial killer or a monster, comes from the loss of control of our own biology. Made famous by the films of David Cronenberg and Frank Henenlotter in the 1980s, the genre often uses mutation, mutilation or infection as the mechanism of horror. Our fears of disease and our fascination with botched plastic surgeries are real world examples of body horror at work in our lives.

Most body horror involves one or a few fantastic elements inserted into an otherwise mundane world. The Substance uses an unrealistic scenario to highlight our very real obsession with youth and beauty, as well as the extent that people are willing to go to hold onto them, even if only for a little while longer.

            It’s a very small-scale movie, basically a two woman show, creating a more intimate knowledge of the characters. Having said that, if you get the chance to see it on a big screen, I’d encourage it. The movie is very much visually oriented, getting much of its power from the images rather than the narrative. Fans of body horror will find a lot to like about The Substance. Even if you’re not familiar with that genre, the film will still create a lasting impression that will stick with you long after you’ve finished watching.