On October 10, the satirical feminist body horror «The Substance» starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley started screening in cinemas. This acclaimed project has already won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival, received universal critical acclaim, and received the titles «Demi Moore’s best role in years». In the review below, we tell you why you will remember watching this movie for a long time.
Genre satirical body horror
Director Coralie Farja
Starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Joseph Balderrama, Hugo Diego Garcia, Oscar Lesage, Philippe Schurer, Gore Abrams
Premiere movie theaters
Year of issue 2024
Website IMDb
Once upon a time, at the height of her career, superstar Elizabeth Sparkle was honored with a personalized star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and even won an «Oscar», and now hosts a popular fitness show on television. But on her 50th birthday, she finds out that a devious producer in a colorful Harvey jacket is planning to find her replacement — a younger, sexier, and more attractive host. Not wanting to disappear into oblivion, she decides to take advantage of an unexpected offer — to make «a better version of herself» with the help of an injection of a special substance.
But this desperate step requires Elizabeth and her young, perfect «clone» to follow certain procedures — every 7 days they must change each other — while one lives her life, the other is unconscious. In addition, the younger version, who has taken the name Sue, needs a special stabilizer harvested from the older one’s spine. The problems begin when Sue openly abuses the time allotted to her and dares to consume more and more of the substance from Elizabeth’s body. This eventually leads to disastrous consequences.
The best way to characterize «Substance» is an apt quote from Indiewire on the uncensored version of the official Ukrainian posters: «Absolutely f*cking insane». This is exactly what it is — a film by French director Coralie Farage — it is concentrated shock content that you will remember for a long time.
It is obvious that Farja was inspired by the classics of the 70s and 80s, including the explicit B category. The influence of the master of body horror David Cronenberg is palpable here (it’s worth mentioning the bizarre «Society» by Brian Husn), King’s «Carrie» by Brian de Palma and «The Shining» by Stanley Kubrick. In fact, Farja’s expressive formalism, which is almost immediately apparent, prevails over the content. The author of «Substance» triumphs as a director and fails to shine as a screenwriter, so the award at Cannes can be considered a cruel joke.
For example, when choosing between a young girl and a more experienced and professional, but older, candidate for the position of secretary, experience will not always win out (this point was played out in the cult «Friends», though in the opposite way in terms of gender roles). And this choice is often made by male bosses. However, at least in the public showbiz sphere, which is conventionally discussed in the movie, the world has changed somewhat.
First of all, the infamous Weinstein thing has already been sucked up from all sides. Secondly, the one-sided demand for cover beauties with chiseled figures — is definitely not about today. Long gone are the days of «Malibu Baywatch» (and here we again recall «Friends»), projects of the caliber of «Showgirls», or at least the provocative videos that were regulars on TV in the noughties.
When choosing candidates for leading roles, including men, they are now guided by various criteria, but not by breast size or the elasticity of the buttocks. Compare the movie version Lara Croft of 2001/2003 and 2018. The creators of the posters for the next Milla Jovovich action movie no longer need to enlarge the actress’ breasts in Photoshop.
The emphasis on seductive forms, highlighted in Farzha’s film, has now been unconditionally defeated and is now a mauvais. Therefore, the cannon loaded with satire here happens to be firing blanks. Moreover, this shooting takes place as if with a bazooka at flies. By the way, this obsessive insect is mentioned here for a reason.
As for the ageist accusations, again, this problem should also be emphasized everywhere, because it really exists. But in its current form, the film looks more like a deep personal resentment of the author against society and looks like her vendetta. And this is not good.
But there’s a flip side to this, too. Nicole Kidman, 57, is still not only actively acting in top projects, but also producing them herself, and even taking on roles where she has sexual intercourse with a guy almost half her age (we’re talking about the erotic thriller «Babygirl», which also received great press). The 51-year-old Kate Beckinsale, who is coming out next week with a spy action movie «Canary Black», even though she has no «Oscar», no one tries to replace her with a younger and somewhat more attractive version. What can we say about 78-year-old Dolly Parton, who on one of the versions of the cover of last year’s Rockstar album does not shy away from ride a motorcycle.
The picture feels much better when it temporarily moves away from the grotesque ridicule of the patriarchal world order and focuses on a more local component, the Dorian Grey portrait of Elizabeth. Moreover, the feeling of fear under the pressure of circumstances is not alien to Demi Moore herself. In these moments, you really realize how difficult it can be for a woman to perceive age-related changes in her body, and what she is willing to do to delay these inevitable processes. And the lead actress shows off her best acting skills in this segment.
Undoubtedly, «The Substance» — is a talented and extremely brave movie, both in terms of production and acting. It is characterized by a blatant grotesqueness (although it is impossible to turn a blind eye to all the conventions of the plot, as a result of it) and a certain caricature, and it is fully realized in the body horror genre.
Here, excerpts from somewhere in Benny Benassi «Satisfaction» video contrast sharply with scenes so disgusting that they cannot be easily forgotten. The film offers vivid metaphors (the opening short with the star on the Walk of Fame is truly outstanding) and ruthless bodily metamorphoses, appropriate angles and extreme close-ups, expressive color scheme and gorgeous «horrible» makeup. It is on a par with another feminist genre fellow and the sensational Cannes winner — «Titane» by Julia Ducournau.
Unfortunately, the total solemnity of the form somewhat loses its content. And it would have been more relevant if it had a more down-to-earth heroine, rather than a luxurious «Oscar» winner who, in the age of social media, still believes that at 50, swaying her hips on TV is all she has left.