The Substance: An Exposing Triumph

The Substance is a fantastically directed and condemning take on society's perspective on aging and women, rife with cinematic splendor, grit, and shock.

Rating: 8.2/10

Highlights

• Just dystopian enough

• Incredible performance by Demi Moore

• Inventive and realistic special effects

Lowlights

• Would have appreciated more clarification on how the conscious of Elisabeth/Sue was shared

• Last twenty minutes were over-the-top and unnecessary

• Would have been interesting to explore how other experiences with the substance went

A jolt to the system, The Substance is overflowing with matter — the film stands strongly as a work of art, with nearly every scene creatively shot and colors throughout the film masterfully mixed to create an electrifyingly real world. Director Coralie Fargeat's eye is fantastic — every shot, every stage of a prop or person is meticulously crafted to evoke the feeling of a dystopian world while simultaneously making the emotions of the characters feel all too familiar and realistic to the audience. Beyond that, however, The Substance successfully exhibits a story that provides a meaningful critique of our own world's reaction to the aging of women, especially in the entertainment industry. Fargeat's decision to depict the two main characters as mere figureheads, stand-ins for all women of the entertainment industry (down to the airy name of Elisabeth Sparkle), was particularly bold, and her choice to rely not on dialogue, but cinematography and action, is one that I did not expect to be executed so well. The Substance shows that women are replaceable, only valued for the money or pleasure they bring to men, and meanwhile grips you so tightly with compelling visuals that you have no choice but to sit and listen to their condemnations. 

Liked The Substance? Check out A Different Man, another 2024 psychological thriller that explores the cost of changing one's appearance for their craft. Watch the trailer here.

Watch the trailer!