THE SUBSTANCE – Beautifully Grotesque & Darkly Satirical
Elisabeth Sparkle, renowned for an aerobics show, faces a devastating blow on her 50th birthday as her boss fires her. Amid her distress, a laboratory offers her a substance which promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself.
This was a rare occasion where I went into a movie having not seen any kind of trailers beforehand. I went in 100% blind. All I knew was that the movie was called The Substance, it starred Demi Moore, and was supposedly incredibly shocking and grotesque. I always roll my eyes when some new horror movie comes out and is talked up with the whole “scariest movie since The Exorcist” or “people passed out in the theaters” and the classic “audiences walked out of the screening because they were so shocked.” It almost is never the case and the movie ends up being subpar at best. However, this may be the one time where the movie lives up to the hype.
The Substance is an absolute roller coaster of shock and awe. It is a beautifully grotesque take on the body horror genre that makes David Cronenberg’s The Fly look like a Saturday morning Barney special. It’s also a darkly satirical take on beauty standards within the Hollywood industry. It plays on the inevitability of growing older in a unique and clever way not only script wise but visually as well. The script is sharp and clever and the visuals and sound design seem heavily influenced by Edgar Wright. There even seem to be multiple visual references to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining as well with the use of symmetry and wide angle lenses.
In what is undoubtedly Demi Moore’s finest hour, her performance within the film is something to behold. It may have been incredibly easy to bring many aspects of her real life to the role and she herself is a former Hollywood starlet. Needless to say, she single handedly came back with revenge and delivered the most honest, brutal, tragic performance of her long career. Margaret Qualley also delivers as Demi Moore’s “enhanced version” of herself. Both actors seamlessly mix a desperation for perfection with a shattered psyche flawlessly. It is unfortunate that the Academy typically overlooks performances in horror films as these two would and should be honest contenders for best leading and supporting actress.
However, the real reason why anyone is talking about this movie is its third act which completely nose dives into sheer insanity. I spent the last half hour of this movie with my mouth hanging wide open gawking at the grotesque imagery playing out before my shocked expression. I was disgusted and repulsed and… I couldn’t look away. I’ll leave you, the reader, to experience this body horror, blood soaked finale for yourself.
The Substance may go down as my number one favorite film of 2024. It juggles grotesque imagery and satirical commentary and presents a cautionary tale of aging and the lengths one would go to reclaim that beauty long after it has faded into your 50s. It is incredibly gross, extremely uncomfortable, cleverly written, sharply directed, visually aggressive, masterfully acted, and darkly satirical which is why I give The Substance…
5 Syringes out of 5
The Substance is currently playing in theaters and is Rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, graphic nudity and language.