“The Substance”: The Biggest Surprise of 2024

Coralie Fargeat wrote, directed, and produced this supernatural horror film that deals with one of the scariest topics for modern society: aging.

Summary

Elizabeth Sparks used to have it all: beauty, youth, fame, and a successful acting career. Even though her Hollywood stardom is long gone in the present day, she still maintains some recognition for her aerobics TV show. Her life tumbles down when, on the day of her fiftieth birthday, she finds out she is being fired and replaced by someone younger.

A black market drug, known as “the substance”, offers her a quick solution. A better and more perfect version of herself can be born, giving her a new chance at life.

The substance is completely safe if you follow a few simple instructions. What can go wrong?

A Colorful Nightmare

I walked into the theater without watching any trailers or reviews, expecting to watch a drama, and I found myself in a horror movie.

If I had to compare The Substance to something else, two films come to mind. One is obviously Videodrome for its depiction of body horror. That certainly was a surprise. The other one is Requiem for a Dream, partially because of the use of drugs, but also because of the feelings it evokes. It is to this day the film that has disturbed me the most, and I clearly remember the level of anguish I experienced watching it. The Substance achieves something similar. 

All I know is that the film is different from everything released in the past few years. The colors, the camera angles, and the music create an immersive experience. It makes you feel trapped in the story, you cannot look away, even if you want to. It is impossible to feel indifferent.

Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley offer raw performances as Elizabeth Sparkle and Sue, Elizabeth’s “improved version”. I was quite impressed by both, especially Qualley, who I’ve only seen in Yorgos Lanthimos’ films before.

Nudity is a bit exploitative, with many close shots of the actresses’ bodies. This is something I usually don’t like, but in this case, it makes sense for the story. The scenes where Demi Moore’s character stares at her naked body in front of the mirror convey how vulnerable she feels in her own skin. The exact opposite happens with Sue: she feels confident and beautiful, she wants to show off her body and be admired. The film also emphasizes how Elizabeth constantly compares her body to Sue’s younger one, feeling more worthless and insecure as time goes by.

Preparing for the Date: The Best Scene

There is one scene where Elizabeth is preparing for a date, which she is quite happy about. It is nice to feel wanted and admired again. She dresses up and does her make-up, but when she is about to go meet her date, she is confronted with Sue’s perfect image from a nearby billboard. She goes back to her bathroom and changes, trying to cover up some more. The same happens again and again until she decides not to show up at all. Even though the film has many scenes that are more visually impactful, this is the one that best shows the sadness and desperation Elizabeth feels.

Intelligent Criticism is Possible                                                            

The Substance has achieved what other Hollywood productions have been trying to do for years: a good and meaningful criticism of society’s standards and our cult of youth and beauty.

Of course, it points directly to the entertainment industry and the way they discard older stars in favor of the next young promise. But we have to admit that this mentality is trickling down to us, normal people, more than ever before. With the rise of social media use, we are exposed twenty-four hours a day to people whose lives and appearances are better and more perfect than ours, even if that perfection is nothing more than a lie. It is terrifying how young people have become afraid of aging and recur to unnecessary medical procedures and “substances” to maintain their appearance.

I also like that the film can acknowledge that this is a subject that affects women way more than men without turning the story into a simplistic feminist pamphlet. We can notice that male characters treat Elizabeth and Sue differently, and at an industry level, they don’t have the same value. The director did not feel the need to spell it out for us with a speech, as most films have done in the past years. I also liked that they showed a man who is experimenting with the substance as well and going through the same side effects as Elizabeth. After all, no one is invulnerable.

I Have Some Questions…

Even though the story is coherent, and I found no flaws that were too evident in the script, there is one issue that seems off. If both Elizabeth and Sue are the same person, shouldn’t they share a conscience? It seems like they don’t, which is quite confusing because remembering they are both the same was part of the rules. From the begging, when they switch, the one who is in charge that week wakes up without knowing what has happened. That does not make a lot of sense in the context of the film.

The other important point is the ending. If the film had closed when Sue tried to use the substance for the second time, and looked in the mirror to find the disastrous consequences, it would have been perfect. The last fifteen or twenty minutes of the story don’t feel necessary and fall into absurdity. It takes away from the crudeness and violence previously shown. 

Reception

The Substance hit theaters last Thursday, and so far it has surpassed $9.000.000 worldwide. I could not find the production budget or box office projections, so I’m unsure of whether it is performing according to expectations. After watching the film, I can say for sure it will not appeal to a wide audience, and I’m sure the people behind the project knew as much. 

On the other hand, critical reception has been excellent, which does not surprise me at all. This is the kind of film that critics tend to adore. Maybe they will be sad for the lack of sex scenes, though.

Jokes aside, The Substance is not for everyone. If you are easily impressionable, you will find the project way too graphic for your taste. But if you can stomach it, it’s an interesting experience, certainly different from any other 2024 release. Originality is not abundant these days, and I appreciate it whenever I find it.

Exactly as with Requiem for a Dream, even though I believe it is a great movie, I personally don’t think I will ever want to watch The Substance again. It is one of those things for which one time is enough.