Coralie Fargeat’s gnarly, stomach churning, and expertly constructed body horror satire The Substance asks a lot of the viewer, but gives back plenty of food for thought. An indictment of wellness culture and how the entertainment industry can make people neurotic about their age and body type, The Substance keeps pushing its material to gross new levels throughout, recalling the cinema of Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, and Frank Henenlotter, but with a pronounced sense of disdain for corporate culture. It’s goopy, gory, unnervingly patient, and patently unforgettable.
Demi Moore, in a brave, career best performance, plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a one time Oscar winner who has aged out of leading woman roles and is currently hosting a work-out show. When she’s canned by her lecherous, uncouth boss (Dennis Quaid, going hard as hell), Elisabeth turns to a mysterious operation that tells her they can help her create a newer, better version of herself. Via a process that looks extremely painful, complex and not worth going through, Elisabeth spawns Sue (Margaret Qualley), a younger, hotter version of herself, and sets about getting her old job back. The only catch: she can only be Sue for one week at a time, and has to be Elisabeth in the off weeks. What could possibly go wrong?
A lot. The answer is a lot. And quite terribly for all parties involved, even if everyone in The Substance is a vapid, self-centred jerk and their own worst enemies. Fargeat (Revenge) has calibrated The Substance for maximum discomfort and shock factor, but not without reason or passion. Her dialogue is witty, but Fargeat’s sense of style makes the film’s wordless moments even more meaningful, which pairs nicely with some expert editing and perfect use of match cuts. The cinematography and production design is also some of the most inventive and eye catching this year.
I would recommend that anyone who has a severe aversion to needles and/or has problems with eating stay far, far away from The Substance, but for the battle hardened, Farget’s latest is one of the most interesting and substantial works of extreme horror in quite some time. It would make for a great double bill with Julia Ducournau’s Titane, which should tell you all you need to know about the level The Substance is pitched at.
Thursday, September 5, 2024 – 11:59 pm – Royal Alexandra Theatre
Friday, September 6, 2024 – 7:30 pm – Scotiabank Theatre 2
Friday, September 13, 2024 – 5:45 pm – Scotiabank Theatre 3
The Substance opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, September 20, 2024.
