When I read about the film, it sounded intriguing. And it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Demi Moore in a film, so I was curious as to what she would bring to the role. After watching the film, I found it a masterful view of the beauty industry, exploring what it is to age in Hollywood and the perceptions of women once they are over a certain age. The film was not subtle in its approach but as with the best horror films, it shone a light on the themes it explores. 

“The Substance” is a body horror film co-produced, written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. In the film, aging star Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), star of a popular aerobics show, is fired by the head of the studio, Harvey (Dennis Quaid) on her 50th birthday because he wants a younger star to take over. Elisabeth finds out a secret substance that will allow her to become a younger, more perfect version of herself and decides to order the product, becoming Sue (Margaret Qualley). The only catch, the pair must switch off, one week on, one week off or there could be dire consequences. Sue is hired for Elisabeth’s old show, quickly gaining fame and popularity while Elisabeth struggles with low self esteem and feelings of inadequacy. Sue tires of sharing her time with Elisabeth and as Sue spends more time in her body, Elisabeth begins to age with each slowly realizing the consequences too late. 

What makes this film so unique is that the body horror in it is used to great effect to explore the plot, what it means to be a woman in Hollywood, in the beauty industry as women are used up and spit out by the machine. Women are shaped for success, for beauty and desirability until they hate themselves and warped beyond recognition. The film has brilliant commentary on show business and youth culture, as the women who try to be successful soon learn how easy it is to fall off the pedestal of beauty. 

This film is very much feminist horror, holding up the idea of beauty as a price and when you are no longer young, you become a type of Frankenstein, undesirable and unwanted. The film’s horror effects are perfectly in tune with this idea, as Elisabeth’s body degrades and the serum takes more and more from her as Sue stays awake. I don’t want to spoil the effects but the effects culminate in a horrific form that demonstrates just how much the ideal of beauty and chasing success in show business warps who women are.

Both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are brilliant in their performances. Margaret Qualley artfully demonstrates the male gaze as the camera focuses on her attributes but she also shows vulnerability and ambition as she tries to hold onto her fame. Demi Moore is emotional and powerful as Elisabeth, facing uncertainty, fear and the pain of losing her place, her self esteem and feeling no longer desirable. Her vulnerability in the role allows us to empathize with her loss of youth and how it feels to age. Dennis Quaid as Harvey is satirical and over the top but his performance shows how utterly hollow and base show business is as it goes through woman after woman, warping them to promote beauty and youth. 

As it happens, I don’t typically enjoy body horror so I will say there were parts of this film that truly weren’t for me. Having said that, I did find a lot of the effects go overboard, hitting grossness factors that I’m not sure were truly needed to make the point of the film. The concepts were not at all subtle and adding in sound effects and at certain points repeating an effect, I don’t think were strictly necessary. I also felt that the film went on a bit too long and lost the point of the film at the end. It is a masterful view of the beauty industry but also was too long and too gory in the end for me.

If you like body horror and you do not mind some truly gross effects that actually do brilliantly support the film’s ideas and how warped the beauty industry and show business are, you will want to see this movie. The performances are stellar by Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid. It definitely makes the point of how horrible the industry treats women and the camera deftly imitates the male gaze throughout the movie. It takes self hatred to new levels and demonstrates just how women are warped by the industry, even while they warp themselves to fit the ideals of beauty, youth and success. It is horrifying and insightful. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 bathrooms. 

Official Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram