In 1995 Showgirls asked the question – how far are you willing to stay on top? Fast forward to 2024 and we have Writer/Director Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance. In theaters September 20, 2024 through MUBI, this new film features an all-star cast of Demi Moore (Striptease 1996, GI Jane 1997), Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood 2019, Kinds of Kindness 2024), and Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow 2004, Reagan 2024). So, what is it all about?
Here we have a fading celebrity named Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) who decides to use a black-market drug (a cell-replicating substance) that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself (Qualley). If you follow the instructions, what could go wrong?
It has been well-documented by actresses at large, but specifically in Hollywood, that age means ‘has been’ and that in order to stay relevant, these actresses feel like they need body modifications to compete with the younger generation coming up… so the social commentary in The Substance is brilliant. Moore, at 61, has been a steady working actress, but has not been in many big budget movies since 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle; which she told Michelle Yeoh for Interview magazine of the bikini scene, “What’s interesting is I felt [criticism] more when I hit my 40s. I had done Charlie’s Angels, and there was a lot of conversation around this scene in a bikini, and it was all very heightened, a lot of talk about how I looked,and then I found that there didn’t seem to be a place for me. I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong.” Interesting to read, in truth, Moore was perfect for this role, and should be up for awards when the season comes around.
These thoughts all in mind, The Substance is billed as a Horror Comedy. Horror, definitely; specifically Body and Psychological Horror. Comedy… more debatably. The cinematography by Benjamin Kracun (Beast 2017, Promising Young Woman 2020) could be construed as comedic, but comes off as creepy and can be claustrophobic with extreme zooms and close-ups and choppy cut scenes complete with swishing sound effects, specifically in dialogue sequences. For example, there is a gross extreme close-up of Dennis Quaid’s Harvey, Moore’s Elizabeth and then Qualley’s Sue’s smarmy agent, eating crawfish while chatting up Elizabeth.
Speaking of Harvey, Dennis Quaid was actually not the first choice for the role, it was actually said to be Ray Liotta, but sadly he died May of 2022, soon after being cast. Quaid is a slouch in the character whatsoever though, because he is extremely good. It is just a matter of curiosity that kills the cat when wondering what Liotta may have done with the character knowing his brand of smarmy zaniness he could tap into like, say, 1990’s Goodfellas.
Earlier, The Substance’s Body Horror was alluded to. Let us expound on that, shall we? The Body Horror in this film would make David Cronenberg proud. If you have since the teaser poster, you get an idea with Demi Moore’s stitched up back lying on the bathroom floor, which is the aftermath of taking the substance. Keep in mind it is also an exclusive treatment received in a personal mailbox, and the younger doppelganger comes out, who has complete autonomy from the host…except that the doppelganger has to get a ‘charge’ every day.
On the Psychological Horror side, from the beginning, it can be seen how everybody wishing Elisabeth a happy birthday affects her. You see this as she dips into a bathroom with her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame being placed, then ages with people walking on it, dropping stuff on it, barely trying to clean up… essentially feeling disregarded.
Autonomy is the freedom from external control or influence; independence. Autonomy’s a slippery slope depending on the person’s disposition…especially when fame is concerned. That in mind, Sue is a wild card.
Given that, The Substance and The Substance is a double entendre – one being the liquid injected to make the new person, and the other being how Elisabeth perceives herself and how she thinks people perceive her, and how Sue perceives herself in general. So, how far are you willing to go? Something to think about, and that is why Cryptic Rock gives The Substance 5 of 5 stars.
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