Directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (2024) makes a splash into the mucus and bile filled pool of body horror. The films stars Demi Moore as a fading star looking for an edge. She takes a risk on a black market treatment that promises to bring out her best self. Unfortunately, she doesn’t understand how true this is.
Where to Watch The Substance (2024)
The Resurgence of Body Horror
While it never fully disappeared from the horror radar, body horror has recently been making pretty serious comeback. Former master, David Cronenberg released the poorly received Crimes of the Future in 2022. His son directed the VERY compelling science fiction body horror films The Possessor (2020) and Infinity Pool (2023). French Director Julia Ducournau release Titane in 2021.
The Substance continues that trend by also adding a medical / science-fiction element to the story, but leaving it at that would be too simple. Coralie Fargeat actually creates a triptych of styles. There is a Black Mirror-esq science fiction story, an underlying social commentary on an unforgiving industry and people unwilling to give up fame. Finally, it culminates in a gore drenched descent into chaos as the plot twist unfolds.
The Substance – Plot Synopsis
The film details the late career struggles of Elizabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore. As a career fitness icon and Hollywood star, Sparkle must contend with the fact that she has aged out of the industry. The result is too much for handle. After a severe car crash, a nurse offers her an option to extend her career by offering her a thumbdrive. It would be just a matter of time before her curiosity gets the better of her and she look at the contents.
The Substance is an injectable serum that “activates” a symbiotic clone of Elizabeth, albeit much younger and virile. Activation of the substance requires a very specific mandatory protocol. Each of these symbiotes can spend 7 days “on” before then having to spend the next 7 days in a coma while the other gets a turn. One of the symbiote’s greed offsets the balance and things begin to spiral out of control.
Demi Moore in a Courageous Role
Demi Moore’s role as Elizabeth Sparkle is not unfamiliar territory for Demi Moore. The reality is that Demi’s star has long since faded from her heyday in the 80’s and 90’s. That is not to say that she is a has-been, but the reality of Hollywood is that youth and beauty rule and very few women make it past middle aged careers.
A couple of things stand out about Demi’s appearance. Make no mistake, Demi Moore is still a very attractive and capable actress. Still, a reasonable outside observer would recognize that she has made a few tasteful investments in her facial appearance. Also, she appears full body nude and her body has certainly begun to succumb to the same gravitational forces that affect us all. This is not to objectify her, but rather to applaud the bravery required to accept a role that might hit a bit too close to home.
Serious Sex Appeal
Elizabeth Sparkle’s “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” self is a young woman named Sue played by Margaret Qualley. She instantly takes over for her recently terminated counterpart and this all plays out marvelously. Coralie Fargeat clearly intends to use Sue to ratchet up the sexual content. It’s the only possible explanation for how scintillating this all plays out. There is gratuitous nudity, seam splitting crotch shots and scores of gyrating females.
Honestly, it’s a horror dynamic that seems long lost to history, and I’ll admit that I am a fan. I thought we might see more of this in Ti West’s MaXXXine (2024) and it was a bit of a let down.
There is a lot going on here
The Substance covers a pretty wide gambit of thought provoking topics. First and foremost, the film acts as exploration of Elizabeth’s Sparkle’s inability to gracefully age out of her career. Just when we think that Elizabeth regrets the decisions that she has made, she doubles and then triples down on her decision to use The Substance to prolong her career to disastrous results.
In parallel, there is the narrative of an uncaring industry that is more than happy to pave over previous stars as they strive for the next big thing. The only people that age gracefully are the slimy producers and industry people dealing behind the scenes. The personification of this story is so well told through the performance of Dennis Quade as an abomination of a man named Harvey. He’s just a man, but he’s as much of a disgusting monster as you’ll see in film.
Finally, there is a black market science fiction story that pulls it all together. It’s not real… but it doesn’t really feel too far into a future where we will have to contend with this. Clearly the film makes a statement about the use of genetic treatments, and there might be an implied underlying commentary on the risks and rewards of genetically derived vaccines as well.
Biting off more than one can chew
The move to create a multi-dimensional film with an abundance of food for thought is admirable, but it does cause some pacing problems. The final result feels a bit “lumpy” as it plays out. In act one, the introduction of Elizabeth Sparkle and the substance feels a bit rushed. We never really get a feel for who is behind the substance and the drugs mechanisms seem slightly far-fetched. Obfuscating the origin of something like the substance isn’t always a bad idea, but in this case the plot felt both rushed and slightly barren.
Sue’s eruption from Elizabeth punctuates the second act and it sets the stage for some pretty uncomfortable moments as the ladies “stabilize” according the instructions. It’s not entirely clear how much of the special effects are practical and what is CGI. Either way, the effects are pretty dazzling, in the early parts of the film.
As the film progresses into the finale, the tone changes from a smart sci-fi exploration into the sins of vanity to a more straight forward monster movie with a dash of The Elephant Man (1980). From here the special effects remain spectacular, but they do go beyond the visceral realism of the early film to a more over-the-top monster bloodbath that would make Stuart Gordon proud.
Does The Substance have Substance
The Substance is an imperfect film, but what film isn’t? It is absolutely entertaining, but ultimately fails to be as profound as it wants to be. Between the special effects, great cast and overt sexuality, it manages to bring enough pieces together for a good time. If The Substance is any indicator of the future of body horror, and Coralie Fargeat is the messenger, I am intrigued to see where it all goes.
The Substance (2024) - Maximum Body Modification - Malevolentdark
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Date Created: 1970-01-01 00:33
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One Response
Awesome review! I’m not a body horror fan, but I really liked Fargeat’s Revenge.