The Substance Review

A film like The Substance doesn’t come along very often. When looking at the overwhelming backdrop of the types of mainstream horror films that dominated Hollywood in the early 2010s, all too many of which can be categorised in the mold of the jump-scare fests of the Paranormal Activity franchise, The Substance (at least on its face) seems to be a welcome change. Coralie Fargeat’s new film tells the story of an aging fitness star (played by Demi Moore) who is driven, mainly by societal pressure and rejection of her age, to want to become a younger and thus more famous version of herself (played by Margaret Qually). She does this by taking an experimental and ultimately dubious drug which promises to do just that, though it doesn’t quite work in the way she initially hoped. Fargeat as a director has garnered somewhat of a reputation for tense and thrilling films as of late, but The Substance is certainly more than a frivolously frightening film with nothing to say. Through her main characters, and their delightfully played contrast, Fargeat posits interesting questions about the morality of Hollywood fame and the ever -present misogyny in Hollywood.

At the heart of this film is the insecurity and precarity Demi Moore’s ‘Elisabeth Sparkle’ experiences as a result of getting older, and Fargeat manages to confidently and disturbingly portray the perils of this insecurity and precarity throughout the entire film, although most prominently in the latter two acts. Demi Moore delivers a superb performance, showing just how adept she can be at portraying an increasingly horrified and desperate character that must wrestle with themselves and their actions. Margaret Qualley provides an equally adept performance as Elisabeth Sparkles’s younger counterpart, and someone who’s experiencing the same insecurity and precarity as her older self but in vastly different ways.

Perhaps the strongest part of the film, and what makes it tick, is the way Fargeat balances these two sides. We spend an apt amount of time with each, which ultimately allows the audience to sympathise with these characters in different ways. We sympathise with Demi Moore’s ‘Elisabeth’ because of how her relevance and worth in Hollywood is taken away immediately. But we also sympathise with Margaret Qualley’s character because of how dependent her success is on her youth and attractiveness, which will ultimately fade as Demi Moore’s character’s did. In this sense, the film feels like an accomplished doppelgänger film, reminiscent of a classic like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as Fargeat daringly subverts and challenges the classical blueprint of the doppelgänger story. The film also balances elements of classical Hollywood cinema, seen in the spectacularly indulgent climax for instance, and elements of less mainstream art cinema - certainly a refreshing quality. Visually, the film is quite experimental. Recurring close up shots of people, faces and objects gives the film a prominent sense of insecurity and horror, as audiences feel an impending sense of danger just around the corner. The natural and the body are constant throughlines in this film and Fargeat ensures that they remain prevalent throughout.

Although some viewers may find the ostensibly overt gore of the film, particularly in the third act, of-putting, I personally found Fargeat’s daringness here admirable and artistically interesting. This is not to say that the film is perfect. There are some pacing issues, the acts don’t quite flow into one another as well as they could have, and a lack of exposition and characterisation for Elisabeth Soakele. There are times when audiences are left to wonder why exactly Elisabeth is so nostalgic for her past. What is she missing from her past, and what is causing her to miss the past? These are interesting areas to explore and would’ve supported the strong message of the transitory nature of Hollywood for a woman, but perhaps the runtime didn’t allow for such exposition. What exposition we did get through is certainly sufficient and conducive to a strong story and message, and definitely enough to underlay such a unique and visually stimulating film.

There is no doubt that The Substance has made an impact on the industry and audiences around the world, and in an era of all-too forgettable remakes and sequels, that is not a fact to scoff at. All in all, Fargeat has accomplished the admirable feat of creating a film that is both a cultural phenomenon and an entertaining, challenging and, at times, horrifying picture.