The Substance Review: Coralie Fargeat’s Body Horror Movie with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley Explores Aging Beauty

   October 31, 2024

A vaguely named, neon green liquid is at the center of The Substance, the sophomore effort from director Coralie Fargeat following her successful debut Revenge (2017). The titular substance is capable of delivering happiness to those desiring to look younger and more attractive. Accompanied by a strict list of rules involving when to take the substance and how to maintain the younger self the injection inevitably births, the chances of a user mishandling such a lethal experimental drug is absurdly high.

Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in The Substance (2024)
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in The Substance (2024)

But our main character Elisabeth is desperate after she is squeezed out of the Hollywood system when told she’s too old and losing her luster, and then is involved in a dangerous car crash while watching one of her billboards get torn down. Needless to say, life is falling apart for Elisabeth, which makes her a perfect candidate to test the drug that seems to perform miracles.

Among the materials sent to Elisabeth is an activator vial which is only to be injected once, a set of smaller cannisters meant to store “stabilizer fluid” taken from Elisabeth’s body to keep her younger self running, and a long tube that can transfer consciousness between the two being every seven days, which is required the same way not getting a mogwai wet is required – if you fail to perform these actions, deadly consequences may take place.

So, Elisabeth injects the vial and births a “perfect” version of herself during a gory scene that involves Elisabeth splitting her back open from her neck down to her hips. Her newer version is Sue, whom immediately sets her sights on becoming Elisabeth’s replacement on her latest television series. She gets the role and instantly becomes a star, which begins to set the plot in motion as the two fight for the ability to live in peace and without the fear that the other won’t return.

It’s an effective two-hander written by Coralie Fargeat and acted out by Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Elisabeth is played by Demi Moore, the actress from A Few Good Men (1992) and Margin Call (2011), while Sue is played by Margaret Qualley, who has had quite the 2024 with pictures like Kinds of Kindness and Drive-Away Dolls. Moore has made noise as an Oscar candidate for her role here, which is such a vulnerable role requiring a certain level of physicality.

Qualley has a role that has much more flamboyance to it, which, when paired with a flurry of expressive edits and quick cuts, inevitably gives The Substance the style that it has. The movie is aggressively stylish and surreal, which isn’t better exemplified than in Qualley’s earliest scenes – as well as a finale that’ll have you glued to the screen.

Much has been written about the ending of The Substance, which inverts the idea of turning yourself into a “perfect” being into a creature feature with some gnarly practical effects. I think the grossness of the final 30 minutes has been overstated, though, as these practical effects don’t amount to much more than one really goopy blob and a hose spewing blood. The film closely resembles other “elevated” horror movies that simultaneously have an interest in being grimy in spades, like Luca Guadagnino‘s Suspiria (2018), Julia Ducournau’s Titane (2021), and Alex Garland‘s Men (2022). Those movies really go for it in their gnarliest moments, while, at its most abrasive, The Substance kinda just becomes an indie Shudder film trying to make its audience squeamish.

And the aforementioned abundance of editing choices that add to the film’s style doesn’t do much for me. I think I would’ve liked something like The Substance much more a few years ago when I didn’t mind movies without subtext, but nowadays I want to have to work for my meal. There aren’t many different reads of The Substance other than taking the events on face value. The themes are painstakingly laid out in such an obvious way, so the best way to enjoy the film is to just have fun with it rather than ponder what it all means or what Fargeat is trying to dig into about modern societal norms.

The Substance is not without its flaws, but Coralie Fargeat latest film proves her distinct artistry. She’s able to pull grandiose performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, and a few of the individual jolts of energy keep you locked in despite the movie’s indulgent 141 minute runtime. I’m not crazy about the ending, which aims for absurd quantity over quality, but I still want to see if Fargeat is offered the chance to do something bigger and even bolder moving forward. Regardless of where I ultimately landed with it, she announces herself as a director to look out for.

Score: 7/10

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