- Directed by Coralie Fargeat
- Written by Coralie Fargeat
- Release Date: 09/20/2024
- Runtime: 140 minutes
Spoiler free mini review – A body horror epic that leaves a mark and has something to say. In her second feature length offering, director Fargeat makes a strong statement about beauty, celebrity and aging, which all seem forever timely.
Sticking the landing is not easy and so this completely bonkers, often very funny, gore-filled final act grants The Substance goodwill. – Collider
I’m a self proclaimed lover of weird movies, and boy howdy is this movie weird. This is a movie I call a NECOT, not everyone’s cup of tea. Fargeat does something bold here and uses the genre of body horror to weave a symbolism filled tale of beauty standards in the world, esp. Hollywood, and the way our society sees aging and it’s connection to someone’s value. I think horror lends brilliantly to the point Fargeat is trying to make, it’s bold, it’s gross, it’s in your face. There is no subtlety here. It shines a light on the very real issue of what society has deemed as beautiful and worthiness and depicts the extreme lengths people will go to in order to achieve and maintain unrealistic beauty expectations.
Demi Moore is incredible here, and the fact that she is known for being selective about the roles she takes, especially later in life, just speaks to the power of the message and the parallels I’m sure she’s experienced over the course of her career. Her range in this film is greater and as demonstrative as any role she’s portrayed before. To think that we might be seeing peak Demi at 61 is great. Not to be outdone, Margaret Qualley is striking here as well. It cannot be overstated the amount of vulnerability, patience and skill these two had to employ while being reborn, naked and afraid, on a bathroom floor then slowly turning into literal monsters over the course of the 2.5 hour runtime. Additionally Dennis Quaid gives his all playing an unscrupulous, slime ball studio executive named Harvey, which I have to imagine was no accident.
The visuals in this movie are bold and unique. Colorful and sparkling sets, reminiscent of other genre films, such as The Neon Demon and Possessor, the setting becomes a character in and of itself. Along with the robust background, the practical effects and makeup here are ridiculous and grotesque, somehow too much and also just enough. Bravo to the makeup and SFX teams. And then there’s the blood. There is so much blood. During the denouement, the gallons of blood that have been leeched from the actresses within the movie get refunded in full, with a little extra, as the abomination that is Elizabeth and Sue combined, combusts under the pressure of it all, exploding and then getting crushed into a literal smear as the story comes full circle.
I would recommend The Substance to any horror fans, fans of the Cronenbergs, people who can stomach the blood and guts and are into films with a deeper meaning.