There was one predominant thought that crossed my mind throughout The Substance: “How in the hell did this premiere at Cannes of all places?!”
It makes sense for Coralie Fargeat’s satirical body-horror film to be at TIFF’s Midnight Madness, where it won the category’s People’s Choice award. But a horror movie this insane wouldn’t typically appeal to the more highbrow audience at Cannes. However, not only did it play well there, it did so well that it snagged the fest’s Best Screenplay award. The Substance is only Fargeat’s second film, following her 2017 thriller Revenge, and she may have already cemented herself as a new horror icon in the making.
Demi Moore plays Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Sparkle. The film opens with a great visual summary of Elizabeth’s career, using a static shot of her star on the Walk of Fame. Once one of Hollywood’s brightest and most beautiful stars, Elizabeth’s stardom has fallen to the point where she now hosts an aerobics show on daytime TV. On her 50th birthday, she is fired by sleazy exec Harvey (Dennis Quaid), who wants someone younger and hotter to take over the show.
“The Substance is only Fargeat’s second film, following her 2017 thriller Revenge, and she may have already cemented herself as a new horror icon in the making.”
After an accident, she learns of a black-market drug known as The Substance, which promises to improve her life. Elizabeth injects herself with The Substance, creating a younger, “more perfect” doppelganger of herself named Sue (Margaret Qualley). The hardline rule of The Substance is that both Elizabeth and Sue share a consciousness and must switch bodies every seven days without fail. You can guess where this is going. As Sue enjoys her immediate rise to stardom, she starts taking a little extra time without switching, leading to irreversible consequences for Elizabeth.
The contrast between their shared life is instantly apparent. When Sue is in control, the film is bright and glossy, with the camera (and every man around her) locked on Qualley’s curves like an early 2000s music video. When Elizabeth is back, the colours and camerawork suddenly become much more muted. She’s ignored and disrespected by everyone, from her bosses to her next-door neighbour.
Where Sue looks at her flawless body with admiration, Elizabeth looks at her imperfections with quiet shame. It’s a commentary not just on how the entertainment industry treats older women, but on how Elizabeth sees herself. The screenplay clearly resonated with Moore (herself known as one of the biggest sex symbols of the ’80s), and she delivers one of the best performances of her career. As Elizabeth’s body deteriorates and she struggles to maintain her sense of self, her desperate cling to her old stardom and beauty propels her to continue with the switch.
“The Substance is not interested in being subtle.”
A particular scene where she repeatedly applies makeup is genuinely heartbreaking. On the other hand, Margaret Qualley is clearly having the time of her life as Sue, fully committing to the catty “mean girl” role, desperate to maintain dominance in this symbiotic relationship. The same goes for Dennis Quaid in his brief moments as the thinly veiled parody of Harvey Weinstein. There’s a scene early on where he’s eating shrimp that might be more disgusting than the rest of the movie.
The Substance is not interested in being subtle. But where the film lacks in subtlety, it gains in a righteous fury that’s all the more compelling to watch. Fargeat wears her influences on her sleeve, namely David Cronenberg, with a heavy dose of Kubrick (the TV studio carpet being identical to The Shining’s Overlook Hotel, along with a number of similar shots replicated throughout).
While the film does run a bit long at 2 hours and 20 minutes, those last 20 minutes unleash a grotesque bloodbath unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It flips the movie’s previous leering at bodies in a way that’s as disgusting as it is hilarious. The moment you think it can’t get any worse, it jumps higher from there. And then even higher after that. Seriously, even the most jaded gorehounds will wince at how extreme it gets.
Easily the best horror film of the year, The Substance is a well-crafted nightmare that’s guaranteed to entertain as well as horrify everyone who comes across it. I don’t know if I ever want to watch it again, but I’m definitely glad I did.
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