Film Review – The Substance

September 20th, 2024 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Whoa.

The Substance (2024) is one of the most freewheeling, grotesque, and beautiful films you’ll see this year. It is extreme in nearly all phases – thematically, conceptually, and cinematically. Writer/director Coralie Fargeat – who gave us the excellent thriller Revenge (2017) – is back with an even more bombastic undertaking. Her topic of choice is a familiar one, involving a character coming to terms with aging and all the social pressures that come with it. But she takes things to such a high level, blasting the hinges off with jet-fueled intensity. It feels like we’re watching someone have the worst nightmare of their lives. One could argue that Fargeat takes things too far, pushing the story to such absurdity that the overall results suffer, but I disagree. This type of film benefits from a vision that doesn’t compromise.

Where does one even begin to describe this thing? Imagine the hyper kinetic editing style of Requiem for a Dream (2000) mixed with the body horror of early David Cronenberg and you might be close. Fargeat directly comments over the superficiality of one’s image, particularly that of women. This is especially true in the world of Hollywood, where older actors are pushed aside in favor of younger options. The production design and art direction use surfaces metaphorically. Hallways, apartments, studios, and offices look modern and stylish, but they lack warmth and feeling. The title of The Substance clearly has multiple meanings – one of which suggests that fancy outfits and perfect hair amount to nothing if a person lacks internal “substance.” As we will come to find out, Fargeat aims to deconstruct these concepts – figuratively and literally.

Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) was once a famous actor, even having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Approaching middle age, Sparkle’s career now has her headlining an aerobic exercise program on television. Unfortunately, Elisabeth’s boss – the not so subtly named Harvey (Dennis Quaid) – looks to end her show and replace her with someone younger. This news throws Elisabeth’s world into a tailspin. She becomes desperate to hang onto her fading stardom by any means necessary. Elisabeth finds that opportunity when she discovers a mysterious drug called “The Substance,” which – once taken – will cause her to physically create a younger version of herself. She decides to move forward with the program, and thus spawns Sue (Margaret Qualley). Sue is everything Elisabeth once was, but there is a catch. Only one of them can be conscious at any given time, and the two must switch places after seven days, no exceptions.

I know what you’re thinking: “That premise sounds crazy.” I promise you, what I described is only the tip of the iceberg. Where Fargeat takes us is mortifying yet fascinating. Within this context, the title also points to the idea of substance abuse. Elisabeth becomes addicted to the thought of creating a “better” version of herself. Despite how outlandish things turn, Fargeat never derails from maintaining focus on her central themes. The feelings that Elisabeth goes through – and eventually Sue as well – is a product of the misogynistic society they live in. Having to always look great, have the perfect body, and to look like the models in fashion magazines is a pressure that many have faced. A key image features Sue looking out of a window toward a billboard with her body on it. The shot reminds me of Tony Montana (Al Pacino) looking at a blimp with the words “The World Is Yours” in Scarface (1983). Both characters long for a perfect life that does not exist in reality, and both must learn that lesson the hard way. 

I’d imagine that not many actors would be willing to put themselves in such vulnerable positions as this material requires. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley put the ultimate trust in themselves and Fargeat. They are placed in very compromising settings that could be seen as ridiculous if managed by the wrong hands. Thankfully, Fargeat guides them with complete confidence and masterful skill. This is some of the best work I’ve seen from either actor, but especially Demi Moore. She dives into the character of Elisabeth with full conviction, unafraid of taking chances or stepping out of her comfort zone. This is a total guess, but I assume Moore added a lot of her own experience into Elisabeth. Throughout her career, Moore had been unfairly scrutinized over her looks, whether it be in Striptease (1996) or G.I. Jane (1997). In a strange way, that negativity informs the work she puts in as Elisabeth. The character feels richer because we can see the ties between them and the actor.

Fargeat’s directing style is in your face and assertive. She utilizes close ups to examine her characters with almost clinical precision. When Elisabeth has a conversation with Harvey at a restaurant, the camera pushes in on his mouth as he aggressively chews his food. Harvey seems less like a T.V. executive and more like a neanderthal, which I’m sure was the intention. Obviously, there is a large emphasis put on the female body. Fargeat strips away the titillation in search of something more significant underneath. There are lots – and I mean lots – of shots of bums littered all throughout, but not one of those instances are sexy or enticing. It’s as if Fargeat asks the audience to be private investigators, to look beyond what we see on the screen to find the root cause of a bigger problem. 

It’ll be interesting to see how viewers react to the third act. This is where the narrative becomes unglued and takes off into flights of fancy. The body horror really goes into overdrive in this section – kudos should go out to the make-up and special effects departments for making the scenes look so gooey and gross. Just when I thought the movie couldn’t get any wilder, it does. Some might see this and be put off by it – that it might be too much to stomach. I understand that point of view, the last third is not for the squeamish. But I appreciate how Fargeat hammers her points across with the nuance of a sledgehammer. Where Elisabeth and Sue end up is so over-the-top that I couldn’t help but laugh. The writing and direction doesn’t take things lightly – it grabs us by the collar, slaps us across the face, and forces us to pay attention. 

Only skilled filmmakers could make something so smart yet drastically wacky as The Substance. Coralie Fargeat has created a tremendous picture, a no-holding-back shot to the veins. It starts off on a highwire and never lets up, it is simply electric. Every element – from the writing, direction, acting, camerawork, costuming, set design, and beyond – fires on all cylinders. This is an experience one will not soon forget. 

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