Written, directed, co-edited and produced by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, The Substance is a vicious and gruesome body-horror satire about ageing, identity and the impossible standards women are held to by a society obsessed with youth and beauty. It has divided critical opinion, with some lauding it as a feminist horror masterpiece, and others accusing it of pandering to the male gaze (those lingering shots of Sue's body in her fitted Lycra leotard), and exploiting old horror tropes (rendering the female body – especially older bodies - a source of terror). It tells of Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a faded film star, who, on her 50th birthday, is fired from her hit aerobics TV show by her producer, who wants to replace her with a younger host. A despairing Elizabeth decides to try a new experimental drug that will create a younger replica of herself, with deeply horrifying results...
When Elizabeth's replica, Sue (Margaret Qualley), finds success and fame as her replacement on the TV show, Elizabeth is left to fester at home, sinking deeper into despair and envy. Sue's hedonism results in a delay in their switch, which causes Elizabeth to rapidly age. Even though they are one person, they see themselves as individuals and grow to hate each other, both attempting to sabotage the other in increasingly extreme ways. The old idiom "Your own worst enemy" is taken to extremes as Elizabeth/Sue is revealed as the primary obstacle to her own happiness.
While the characters are painted with the broadest stokes and lack any real depth, Demi Moore's powerful performance ensures Elizabeth is a fully fleshed-out, sympathetic human being with a complex inner life. Moore is especially electrifying in the scene where she realises the extent of the damage done to her body by Sue's carelessness, and flies into a rage. Spitting curses, furiously mixing potions and plotting bloody revenge, Moore conveys Elizabeth's growing desperation and anger, and the moment is as outlandish as it is unnerving. Fargeat exploits classic imagery of the figure of the witch to powerful affect. It isn't all tooth and claw though. Outside of the fervent outbursts of violence and emotion, there are quieter moments when we see Elizabeth overwrought with self-loathing and despair. In one of the most powerful scenes we see her preparing for a date, increasingly wracked with self-doubt as she keeps changing her clothes, her make-up. Fargeat ramps up the tension and conveys the pressure Elizabeth feels through the frenetic editing, culminating in Elizabeth smearing her make-up all over face and repeatedly hitting herself.
Fargeat is a visual storyteller, and while The Substance is sparse on dialogue and plot, she utilises striking imagery and metaphor to unveil the horror in deep-seated societal attitudes regarding women's age and appearance. There are traces of Death Becomes Her (1992) and Ana Lily Amirpour's The Outside (2022), which explore similar themes of beauty and decay, obsession, and self-destruction with an equally satirical, graphic approach. There are also nods to other horror titles including Re-Animator (1985) (indeed, Fargeat's film locks into similar gonzo extremes as Gordon's cult classic), Carrie (1976), The Shining (1980), Society (1989) and From Beyond (1986). Echoes of Rebecca (1940) also emerge as Elizabeth's apartment is presided over by a huge portrait of her younger self, a constant reminder of her former success and fame. Despite the outrageousness and ludicrously heightened sense of reality, Moore's performance and Fargeat's assured direction ensure a strong, visceral response throughout.
The body-horror elements in The Substance are immensely disturbing, particularly in the moments after Elizabeth has injected the drug and her body splits open as Sue emerges. Fargeat lenses everything in gory, forensic detail. As the story unfurls, Elizabeth's body increasingly deteriorates, until she is unrecognisable. Prosthetic effects and practical make-up are used to ramp up the grotesque imagery. Events become ever disturbing, farcical and tragic and everything is exaggerated for maximum impact. Just when you think it can't escalate any further, it does. And then does so again. And again, to increasingly feverish proportions.
The Substance is a hyper-stylised, furious rumination on societal misogyny and impossible beauty standards women (especially women in the public eye) are subjected to. It's a powerful film, not easily forgotten, particularly the shattering climax. That it also disarms with its tragic pathos is testament to its power.