THE SUBSTANCE | Review
Would you try it?
Coralie Fargeat shines in her second major motion picture, blending the extreme body horror of David Cronenberg with the layered, thematic complexity of David Lynch. The Substance might just be the best body horror film I've ever seen. When I say my jaw hit the floor halfway through and never recovered, it's an understatement—this film grabs your attention and never lets go.
At its core, it delves into dark themes of body dysmorphia and suppression, exploring the compulsion to alter our appearance to fix “flaws” we struggle to understand. The film’s first two acts are masterful, starting off bizarre and rapidly escalating into wicked territory. The titular “substance” is a black market drug that promises to create a better version of yourself, hidden away in the back alleys of a bright and sparkling Hollywood—a nod to the industry’s underbelly that Lynch so vividly depicted in Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive.
Fargeat doesn’t hold back in her portrayal of the male characters, who come across as condescending industry players that believe they "create" these women, shaping their stardom. In reality, they are as grotesque as the film's horror elements. The contrast between the horrifying imagery and the men’s obliviousness to the absurd standards they impose is equal parts disturbing and darkly comedic. Dennis Quaid is perfectly cast as the embodiment of the entitled white-man-who-runs-everything. Whether he fully grasped what his performance means is a mystery, but it's entertaining nonetheless.
The real stars, however, are Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore, who shatter expectations and bring to life the struggles of women in an industry obsessed with beauty. Whether their characters are separate or one and the same, their constant battle for control is powerfully symbolic, not just for women but also for men who are held to similarly impossible standards. Both actresses deliver powerhouse performances, with Demi Moore’s portrayal of a woman in decline being especially heartbreaking and agonizing to witness.
Just when you think the film has reached its most outrageous point, the third act shatters all expectations, suffocating viewers in a final, brutal turn of events. It’s the best film of 2024, a triumphant return for surrealist cinema and a bold critique of Hollywood's superficiality. There’s something thrilling about watching an artist inspired by their influences yet crafting their own masterpiece.
The Substance deserves to be seen on the biggest screen with the largest crowd possible. I know I’ll be going back to watch it a few more times before its run in theaters is over. Do yourself a favor—don’t miss out on this gnarly, inspired, and wickedly brilliant piece of cinema.
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