The Substance is (in my opinion) the best horror release of 2024. This film uses body horror and absurdist imagery to tell the story of Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) and her experiences as a woman in the entertainment industry.
Sparkle, who just turned 50, has her television show canceled by a superficial network executive due to her age. This leads her down a spiral as, without fame, her life is hollow and meaningless. At this point, Elisabeth is offered the substance, a sort of medication that allows her to be a younger, more beautiful, better version of herself every other week. This “other” version is called Sue (Margaret Qualley).
Without spoiling this movie, I’d like to draw attention to the way that director Coralie Fargeat uses Sparkle’s story to highlight the violence women enact upon themselves in order to fit an unachievable standard. While this theme has been done to death, Fargeat’s writing is refreshingly unique. She explains that she “had these massive thoughts that [she] had reached the age where [she] wasn’t going to be useful or interesting to anyone anymore… The violence of those thoughts was so strong that [she] had to do something about it—otherwise it would totally destroy and crush [her].”
I almost wish I could show The Substance to every woman in my life. However, I’m not sure every woman can enjoy the movie as I did. The Substance is at times gory and hard to watch. The ultra-realistic prosthetic organs and body horror are legitimately terrifying. Not to mention the objective views of Moore and Qualley’s nude bodies. I’m sure nudity can make some people feel a little uncomfortable however with Fargeat and the director it never felt gratuitous or for the audience’s gaze.
To me, this movie was so relatable and expressive. It made me emotional in a way most movies don’t. I appreciated the use of gore as a metaphor but I understand many people don’t want to see blood and guts. And I think people’s squeamish reactions are sort of the point.
With famous women especially, many people don’t want to see them age or not look perfect, whether they are aware of this bias or not. Normal women feel this pressure too, I don’t think most older women feel comfortable leaving the house without makeup. Botox and fillers are more popular than ever.
So I can’t wait to watch more of Fargeat’s films because her writing is so raw and honest. I hope at least one person reading this gets to see The Substance as it was a transformative experience for me.
