The explicit body horror film ‘The Substance’ is totally surreal – the film is symbolic with body metamorphism. ‘The Substance’ is about an ageing actress who gets booted from Hollywood by chauvinistic male executives and resorts to a black-market medical technology to restore her youth. This movie is a fantastically shocking, grotesque and satirically horrifying take on celebrity culture, misogyny and the cult of youth.
‘The Substance’ received a 13-minute standing ovation after premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and I can see why. All the performances are applaudable. Demi Moore gives a stellar performance and steals the show. Her character, Elizabeth Sparkle, is relatable and I really commend Demi Moore for taking on this role like this as it is very exposing – both literally and metaphorically. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley played a perfect pair of opposite counterparts, and their powerhouse performances made the horror much more visceral. Dennis Quaid also did a great job!
The body horror and anatomy are phenomenally done. The makeup deserves a huge accolade as Moore disappears beneath layers of prosthetics and cosmetic effects.
French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat explores Hollywood’s most uncomfortable truth about ageism and unrealistic beauty standards through clever avenues of artistic mediums and expression.
From the opening scene, this movie grabs you with its stunning cinematography and camera work.
The closeups are interesting as they zoom into and out of the micro-macro world. I also appreciated the fisheye lenses and distortions as it added to the narrative.
What I loved most about this film was how it was heavily influenced and inspired by several classics. There is a mix of Cronenberg’s The Fly, Carpenter’s The Thing, Brian De Palma’s Carrie with a splash of Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream. In addition, the color scheme is reminiscent of Kubrick palette and tone in The Shining or and Clockwork Orange. The grand finale is also reminiscent of ‘The Shining’.
Another nod that I noticed was when Elizabeth/Sue was preparing for the New Year’s Ever party, Hitchcock’s ‘Vertigo’ score was used to draw a parallel between this character and Judy in the classic film. Similar to Judy, who tries to transform herself into the idealized and unattainable image of Madeleine, Elizabeth/Sue attempted to conform to societal beauty expectations. Thus the mirror becomes a reflection of her internal turmoil thereby mirroring Judy’s struggle in a similar way.
This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea as it is disturbing, but for those who are horror fans and are sick of the lack of originality in films nowadays, this one is worth your time!
Overall, ‘The Substance’ is experimental, anatomically gross, thought-provocative and groundbreaking in an awesome way! I highly recommend it!
*San Sebastian International Film Festival: The Substance
Director: Coralie Fargeat