REVIEW: “The Substance” (2024)

As a seasoned cinephile with decades of movie-watching under my belt, let me tell you that “The Substance” is a film that has left quite an impression on me. The way it tackles societal issues like beauty standards and Hollywood’s patriarchal hierarchy, all while serving up a heaping dose of body horror, is truly unique.

There’s been tremendous excitement about “The Substance” ever since its debut at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May, where it won the Best Screenplay award. Since then, the buzz has only grown stronger, most recently at the Toronto Independent Film Festival where it was awarded a People’s Choice prize. As it approaches its full release, many are predicting that it could be a strong contender for an Oscar.

The movie titled “The Substance” certainly sparks a lot of discussion. It’s a sharp satire that morphs into a surreal nightmarish vision, relying heavily on gruesome body horror and intense acting performances. This film is filled to the brim with ambition to be provocative and inflammatory, achieving this goal both successfully and unsuccessfully at times. Yet, it remains as captivating as it is nauseating primarily due to its director, writer, co-producer, and editor, Coralie Fargeat.

In this role, I find myself as Demi Moore’s character, Elizabeth Sparkle – a renowned actress known for hosting the hit TV aerobics show, “Sparkle Your Life.” On my 50th birthday, I was unexpectedly let go by my less-than-admirable producer, Harvey, played by Dennis Quaid in a fittingly loathsome portrayal. The network yearns for fresh, youthful faces, preferably between the ages of 18 and 30, to replace me. So, Harvey initiates a search for my successor through a casting call.

The surprise action leaves Elizabeth feeling disheartened and overpowered. To make matters worse, she’s unfortunately involved in a serious car crash yet fortunately walks away unhurt. At the hospital, she encounters a young nurse who informs her that she is an ideal candidate for a groundbreaking hidden product. He discreetly hands her a flash drive with details about “The Substance”, a serum from an unknown creator that promises to enhance its user and help them create “an improved version of themselves”.

Without much delay or concern, Elisabeth dialed the provided number and navigated to the indicated grubby warehouse area to retrieve her starter package from a drop-off box. Upon returning to her apartment, she unpacked the kit, which contained various elixirs, syringes, needles, and tubes. The instructions were sparse, but Elisabeth instinctively knew what to do. She removed her clothes and administered herself with a green “Activator” solution. What ensued was a gruesome scene where Elisabeth writhed in agony on the bathroom floor as her back suddenly split open, giving birth to a younger version of herself, approximately twenty-something years old.

Essentially, just like in Joe Dante’s “Gremlins”, there are essential guidelines to abide by. The most crucial one is that only a single version of Elisabeth can be awake at any moment. Each version lasts for seven days before they need to swap with the other. Disregarding these rules results in some rather grim consequences, which Fargeat vividly portrays in the movie’s grotesque, humorous, and gore-filled second half.

In a different rendition, Elizabeth’s younger, seemingly ideal version (portrayed powerfully by Margaret Qualley) introduces herself as Sue and secures the role of Elizabeth’s successor in her show. This new program, “Pump It Up with Sue,” gains immense popularity, attracting the attention of a shrewd character named Harvey who sees potential profits. He encourages Sue to push beyond her limits, and she grows fond of the spotlight. However, Elizabeth feels isolated and harbors resentment towards this significantly altered version of herself. As time passes, tension between Elizabeth and Sue escalates, eventually leading to rule-breaking incidents with dire outcomes.

In “The Substance,” the themes are hard to overlook as they’re consistently emphasized throughout almost every aspect of the movie. The film critiques distorted beauty standards in society, especially within Hollywood, and the entrenched patriarchy. However, another way to put it would be that the movie addresses the craving for fame, the superficiality of celebrity, and an unhealthy fixation on regaining youth. But remember, it doesn’t delve deeper than what is presented on screen.

Moore and Qualley significantly enhance the film, putting in considerable effort to compensate for underdeveloped characters and maintain viewer interest. Their performances have been lauded as “dedicated” rather than “bold” or “daring,” terms that unfortunately carry connotations of a woman’s willingness to bare all (it’s interesting how men’s performances aren’t judged in the same way). Instead, I find their commitment quite commendable. They manage to keep our focus and make it easier for us to overlook Fargeat’s apparent disregard for plot coherence. Several unanswered questions remain, such as the origin of the serum, its cost, whether results are monitored, and how they maintain such an extraordinary secret. Alas, we may never know the answers to these questions.

In a unique twist, Fargeat’s bold stylistic choice with capitalized directions contributes to both the strengths and weaknesses of her movie. On one hand, she and her team create some shockingly grotesque body horror scenes that are truly captivating. However, these intense moments overpower the climax, causing the film’s thematic depth to fade into typical B-movie tropes.

2024-09-19 17:56

REVIEW: “The Substance” (2024)

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