Overview
A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
Directed and written by Coraline Fargeat, The Substance is a satirical body horror film that, similar to Barbie, explores the perception of beauty standards in a male dominated society, only in a more darkly twisted manner. This is a film about the male gaze, and the idea that stardom will only last as long as your youth does in the misogynistic environment of the Hollywood engine.
Demi Moore is Elizabeth Sparkle, an award winning actress who has fronted a long running popular TV aerobics show, but on the turning of the age of 50 she is dropped from her hosting gig by Harvey, her producer, an absolute grotesque of male lecherous nature given wonderfully creepy life by Dennis Quaid. Striving to get her stardom back, Elisabeth strives to be seen as beautiful again, when she discovers a black market drug known as The Substance, which promises to create a younger, perfect version of the user, but has some very strict rules to follow. Taking the drug, Elisabeth becomes two, with the other being Margaret Qualley’s Sue, who immediately steps into the aerobic world that Elisabeth inhabited. However, the all important rules start to cause problems for the pair, who struggle to remember that they are one.
The Substance is an absolutely crazy journey into obsession with beauty standards, and boy it delivers throughout. The casting of Demi Moore as Elisabeth is perfect – Moore herself seemed to see her career slip away as age crept in, and here playing a 50 year old that looks as amazing as Moore does, being told that she isn’t pretty enough for audiences, is made all the more perfect to represent the hypocrisy of the male gaze when you consider that Moore herself is over 60 and looks fantastic! Qualley is the perfect ‘young Moore’, naming herself Sue, and sizzles with a sex appeal that she knows she can play to manipulate the male dominated industry she inhabits. Whereas Elisabeth let herself be controlled, Sue clearly has the upper hand, and uses her beauty to her advantage. Quaid as Harvey is all smiling creepiness, with lingering gazes, and utterly abhorrent attitudes, and he is marvelous in the part. All of this is aided by the camerawork and editing when he is on screen, with a lot of close up moments, and quick cuts, making if feel as uncomfortable to watch as it would be to speak with such a person.
Throughout the film the cinematography by Benjamin Kracun enhances every moment, taking us into a world of stardom with bright lights and gloss, all slickly focused and shot, to apartments that are luxurious and desirable, yet with a lonely and somber feel to them, to threatening alleys and streets where the black market drug is supplied. This is a world that feels real, even whilst it feels someplace out of time (a rather 80s aesthetic permeates the film, yet with modern elements). Coupled with a fabulous use of sound, including the thumping beat of Raffetie’s theme, the full mix of sound draws out the best and the worst of the world inhabited by the characters. Harvey’s eating alone becomes even more disgusting when coupled with the sound mix drawn out of it.
All of that, and we haven’t even gotten to the body horror aspects of the film, which are present for the majority of the journey, before becoming a huge factor of the final act which goes almost full Giallo horror by the end. This is Cronenberg and Society style of body horror, being used to push the satire into darker edges, with someone seeking to be desired again, ending up pushing herself to no longer be desirable. The final act becomes a gloriously over the top moment that is packed with dark hilarity and horror, but never forgets the message it is trying to present.
As I left the screening of The Substance I know I’d be placing it in my top 5 for the year, but after a few days of it settling I knew it was my top film pick for 2024.