5.0 out of 5.0 stars
“The Substance” is, hands down, the best horror movie to hit theaters in years. A viciously dark satire on the entertainment industry, it’s a wild ride you’ll never forget. Those with a low threshold for gore should watch with caution, however. As I can personally attest, at the Cannes Film Festival premiere this past summer, a fellow audience member passed out and was taken away on a stretcher. Yes, it’s that kind of R-rated movie. Gore galore!
Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance” is a stellar follow-up to her debut feature, “Revenge” (2017), a film that flipped the rape-exploitation trope — a subgenre notorious for glorifying male abusers while sexualizing and further demeaning their victims — on its head. In Fargeat’s world, there is no redemption for rapists. They aren’t forgiven, they are pulverized. Body horror films like “The Substance” often follow a similar path, exploiting and sexualizing women’s bodies alongside an uninspired plot. Fargeat, however, guillotines these stereotypes. Aided by a thrilling bass-boosted pop score from Benjamin Stefanski — otherwise known by his stage name, Raffertie — visceral sound design, outlandish practical effects and an A-list cast, her second film is no sophomore slump.
In a career-revitalizing role, Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, an Oscar-winning, former box-office “it girl” turned morning show fitness instructor now grappling with aging in Hollywood — an industry town known for its unreasonable beauty expectations of women. Still stunning, Sparkle is constantly compared to her younger self, whether in conversation or from past images of her in the studio, her apartment and billboards around LA. It is a near-impossible role to play, and Moore does it with unshakeable poise. Her line delivery is flawless, fully inhabiting Sparkle’s fading celebrity and escalating rage with hysterically disturbing facial expressions. Not to mention, Moore gives a bone-chilling, horror movie scream at a crucial moment halfway through the film.
The film opens with the construction of Sparkle’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But over time, like Sparkle herself, the star has grown less popular, less shiny and less respected. Her star is something to step on, or over, rather than an honored plaque of recognition. On her 50th birthday, adding insult to injury, she is fired by her producer, Harvey (Dennis Quaid), channeling the grotesque sleaziness of another Harvey, the now disgraced and imprisoned Harvey Weinstein.
Though his actual screen time is limited, 15 minutes at most, Quaid’s impact is enormous, easily stealing every one of his scenes. The camera zooms in on his face with an ultrawide lens, warping his features while highlighting his frothing saliva. He is over the top and an easy character to love hating, especially as he greedily devours a plate of shrimp while explaining to Moore that she is too old to be attractive.
Sparkle, desperate to turn back the clock, commits to THE SUBSTANCE, a program of sketchy medical injections that promises a younger “better” version of herself (Margaret Qualley). Success requires strict adherence to rules that Sparkle and her clone, Sue, struggle to follow — despite the intense bodily repercussions that special-effects makeup artist, Pierre-Olivier Persin, brings to vividly-grotesque life. They repeatedly disregard the seven-day limit before switching places and leaving their alternative body. Sue makes the most of her days, dreading the swap, while Sparkle wastes away, yearning for the chance to be young again. What ensues is a selfish and vengeful battle of will between two bodies supposedly sharing one conscience. At the core of the film is an examination of how outside perceptions can change who people are. While Sparkle is isolated and alone, Sue becomes the new “it girl” which makes it impossible for them to think, act or feel the same.
Qualley plays Sue as an entitled, “pretty-little-rich girl” who gets everything she wants — a 20-something Regina George minus the blonde hair. Her face, figure and talent are inherited from Sparkle rather than earned. Yet her happy-go-lucky energy makes it hard not to root for her, even as she begins actively plotting against Sparkle.
“The Substance” is an over-the-top examination of our own image, warts and all. The daunting 140 minute run time flies by. Not only does this film mock “the male gaze” so prevalent in the entertainment industry, it questions our collective perception of humanity and female identity. The “uglier” the film gets, the more vivaciously entertaining it is.
