I walked into The Substance (2024) expecting a garden-variety body horror flick – grotesque transformations and unnerving visuals. What I walked out with was something much stickier, something that clung to the corners of my mind
By Ayman Anika
Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance has been quite an experience for me. It’s a neon-lit, blood-soaked love letter to every insecurity we’ve ever nurtured about our appearances – magnified through the unforgiving lens of the entertainment industry.
Let me say this upfront: The Substance is not for the faint-hearted. But if you’re willing to endure its visceral horrors and explicit scenes, it has plenty to say about vanity, identity, and the crushing weight of societal expectations.
The Premise That Cut Too Close
The story revolves around Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a former fitness guru and actress whose career and confidence are disintegrating in the face of ageism. Watching her navigate a world that worships youth is truly painful and relatable.Enter “The Substance,” a mysterious drug that doesn’t just turn back the clock – it gives Elisabeth a younger, physical embodiment of her former self. This new persona, Sue (Margaret Qualley), is everything Elisabeth once was: vibrant, magnetic, unblemished. But there’s a catch (isn’t there always?): Sue and Elisabeth must share the same body, alternating control every seven days.I found this concept both fascinating and unsettling. It’s the ultimate Jekyll-and-Hyde setup, but instead of morality, the battle is over identity. What does it mean to watch your younger self flourish while you fade? What does it do to a person to split themselves in two, literally and metaphorically?
A Visual Feast (and Stomach-Turner)
Visually, The Substance is pure, unfiltered nightmare fuel – and I mean that as a compliment. The transformation sequences are as grotesque as they are mesmerizing. The practical e ects are astonishing; you don’t just see Elisabeth turning into Sue – you feel it. Bones crack. Skin stretches. It’s a visceral reminder of the physical toll of trying to “improve” ourselves.
The cinematography by Benjamin Kracun deserves a standing ovation. Elisabeth’s world is stark, sterile, and su ocating – her apartment is a pristine cage of whites and greys. Meanwhile, Sue’s world is bathed in vibrant, almost sickly neon hues. The contrast is jarring, a perfect metaphor for their clashing realities.
At one point, a scene involving a mirror shattered both figuratively and literally left me squirming in my seat. Not because of the gore (though there’s plenty of that) but because of what it represented: the fragility of our self-image and how easily it can be destroyed.
Performances That Demand Attention
Demi Moore is simply phenomenal. Watching her as Elisabeth, you don’t just see a woman desperate to reclaim her former glory – you feel her desperation. Every choice she makes, no matter how horrific, feels tragically understandable. Elisabeth is a mirror to every woman who has ever felt invisible, a relic in a society obsessed with the new and the flawless.Margaret Qualley as Sue is the perfect counterbalance. At first, Sue feels like a wide-eyed ingénue, brimming with youthful energy. But as the days pass, her innocence warps into something more sinister, her ambition as razor-sharp as her cheekbones. The way Qualley flips between radiant charm and chilling malevolence is downright eerie.Dennis Quaid as Harvey, the slimy TV exec, is almost too convincing. He’s the embodiment of every Hollywood stereotype: sleazy, shallow, and utterly uninterested in women over 40 unless they’re mothers or victims. He adds a darkly comedic edge to an otherwise gut-wrenching story.
Themes That Hit Too Close to Home
What stuck with me most about The Substance wasn’t the gore or the suspense – it was the themes the movie unpacks with brutal honesty. The Substance dramatically drags our collective obsession with youth, beauty, and perfection into the light, forcing us to confront its ugliness.
The duality of Elisabeth and Sue resonated deeply. Who amng us hasn’t wished for a “better” version of ourselves? But what The Substance asks – and what I found myself grappling with long after the credits rolled – is this: At what cost? When does self-improvement cross the line into self-destruction?
Not Without Flaws
That said, The Substance isn’t perfect. Its commentary, while incisive, occasionally feels heavy-handed. There are moments when the film seems to scream its message rather than trust the audience to figure it out.
The explicitness of the film will also alienate some viewers. If you’re squeamish, you’ll likely spend half the runtime peeking through your fingers. But if you can stomach it, the horror serves a purpose – it’s not gore for gore’s sake but a visceral extension of the film’s themes.
That’s the genius of this film – it forces you to wrestle with uncomfortable questions about yourself and the world you live in.
Is The Substance an easy watch? Absolutely not. Is it worth watching? Without a doubt. It’s bold, it’s brutal, and it’s one of the most thought-provoking films I’ve seen in years. Just don’t forget to breathe – and maybe bring a strong stomach. You’ll need it.
